Zoids-S
by Phantom 1
Summary: The Blitz Team faces new friends and new foes as they join the elite in the S-Class. Episode 10 brings you more action, more adventure, more mystery, more Vega.
1. Blitz-Krieg

Zoids-S  
  
Okay, like most fics in the Zoids category, this takes place post-Royal Cup. Well, not at first.  
First, I'm going to have a few chapters take place within the normal Zoid series. In short,  
they'll be in chronological order.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zoids. If anybody knows who does, please e-mail me so I can give them  
credit.  
  
Prologue 1: Blitz-krieg  
  
"Oh boy, it's here, it's here, it's here!" Steve Torros danced around the common room of the  
large structure, that served as their home, in pure glee. His little show was disrupted by the   
appearance of his two children, Leon and Leena.  
  
"Um... Leon, why is Dad prancing around like a ballerina."  
  
"Believe me, sis, I stopped asking myself that question a long time ago."  
  
"Leon, Leena, they did it, we're in, we're in!" He grabbed the two children by the arms and  
danced them around with him.  
  
"Whoa, calm down, Dad," Leon said. "Tell us what's going on."  
  
"The Zoid Battle Commission just approved my request! We're an official team now!"  
  
"That's great, Dad, what's the team's name?"  
  
Dr. Torros did a dramatic stanse. "From now on, we are known as the Blitz Team!" He cried.  
  
"Blitz team?" Leena asked skeptically.  
  
"Yeah, isn't it neat!"  
  
"It's a good name, Dad," Leon said humoring him. To tell the truth, he was pretty excited.  
To become a Zoid warrior was a high honor. And they already had three Zoids: his Shield Liger,  
Leena's D-Bison and a Liger Zero that Doc Torros was conned into purchasing. Then again, the  
Liger Zero was totally unreliable. He once tried piloting it because his Shield Liger's power  
system was down. The Zoid rejected him in ten seconds flat.  
  
"There's just one problem," Torros said as he turned his back to them.  
  
"What's that?" Leena asked.  
  
"We need one more person," Torros said like it was nothing. Leena facefaulted and Leon sweat-  
dropped.  
  
He explained further. "The Battle Mode is 0982, which means that we need at least three Zoids   
and pilots registered with our team." Leon sighed. It was time to make some calls.  
  
  
  
The next week was hectic. Leena put an add in the newspaper, and pilots and Zoids showed up  
from all over the place.  
  
"Send in the next candidate," Torros called. A boy walked in with sandy brown hair and blue  
eyes.  
  
"And you are?"  
  
The boy put on a smug glance. "My name is Harry Champ. I'm a man destined to be king."  
  
"Uh... good for you," Torros said not really knowing how to respond to that.  
  
Leena then realized something. "Doesn't your family run that big Zoids Research Facility in the   
East?" She asked.  
  
"The one and only." Harry opened his eyes and took a good look at her, and his jaw dropped.   
She was the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. Leena was about his age (15) with short red   
hair and violet eyes. She was currently dressed in yellow coveralls and a purple skirt.  
  
He went up to her, took her hand and kissed it. "You are correct my dear, and you are..."  
  
"Leena... Leena Torros."  
  
"Ah, Leena, such beauty and prestige, you must be a princess, perfect for a man who's destined  
to be king."  
  
Leena didn't know what to say about that. She never been hit on before... well there was that  
one time but she was 8.  
  
Luckily, her father came to her rescue. "Well, Harry, if you're going to be part of our team,  
you're going to have to show me some credentials."  
  
For the first time, Harry trained his eyes on Doc Torros. "What do you mean credentials?"  
  
"Dad," Leena hissed.  
  
"I mean let's see what type of Zoid you have."  
  
"I'm glad you asked that, my good man," Harry said happily as he slammed a catalogue down on the  
table that was between them. "I've got every Zoid you can imagine. Everything from Shield  
Ligers to Gun Snipers to Dark Horns to Rev Raptors."  
  
Torros skimmed through the catalog. "Well we already have a Shield Liger but... say, some of  
these Zoids are pretty hard to come by."  
  
"Being a part of Zoid Research gives me access to all the good Zoids."  
  
Leena saw the look in her father's eye. It was the same look that a child would get looking  
through a toy catalog at Christmas.  
  
Doc. Torros closed the catalogue and cleared his throat. "Well, Harry, we'll look over your  
profile and get back to you?" Harry smiled and with a seductive wink to Leena, left.  
  
"Dad, you can't accept his application," Leena said. "He's about twelve doughnuts short of a  
dozen."  
  
"Well, Leena... uh... we have to consider all applications." Leena scowled. Her Dad was ready  
to accept this Harry Champ at the drop of a hat.  
  
The interviews continued. And none of the other applicants had the credentials of Harry Champ.  
  
Towards sundown, Torros yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Well, might as well close up. Nobody else  
seems like they're going to show up today." Leena looked at her watch. They still had about  
ten minutes left. Leena knew her father, he just wanted to accept Harry Champ's application.  
  
"Excuse me, is this where the Blitz Team interviews are being held?" A soft voice called. A  
small boy stood in the doorway to the Blitz Team's new base. He was half Leena's height with  
dark hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a red jersey over a yellow T-Shirt and shorts. He  
was holding a newspaper no doubtedly folded to show the advertisement for the interviews.  
  
"Yes it is," Leena replied. "And you are...?"  
  
"My name is Jamie, I've come to apply." He handed Leena a sheet of paper.  
  
"Wow, this thing is very professional-looking," Leena commented.  
  
"I'm very serious about becoming a Zoid Warrior," Jamie explained. "Plus I'm pretty good at  
fixing Zoids that have broken down from battle."  
  
"Mechanics, that's a good trait to have," Leena said. "Do you have a Zoid?"  
  
"Yes I do," Jamie replied. "A Pterrus."  
  
"A flying Zoid," Doc. Torros spoke up. "That's a big asset to have." But in his mind he was  
thinking, {I knew it, it is Oscar's boy. So he finally decided on following in his father's  
footsteps.}  
  
"Well, Jamie, I can say that it's a good chance you'll be accepted," Leena said.  
  
"Really? Oh, that's great!" Leena looked at this boy. His eyes seemed so sincere, so polite.  
Definitely not like Harry Champ. It would definitely be safer hiring him than Harry.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Leon decided to head into Seaside City to see if he could find anything. He's heard  
numerous rumors about Zoid Mercenaries, freelance Warriors who will work for whoever can pay  
them.  
  
He stopped at one of the many bars. Inside was, among the usual bar features, a huge monitor  
that showed three Saber-Tiger Zoids battling two Lightning Scythes and an Iron Kong. The  
patrons at the bar were whooping and hollering as the six giant machines went at it.  
  
"For the last time, no."  
  
"But we paid you twice on what we agreed!"  
  
"And you had it back with interest."  
  
"No, you haven't, we still lost!"  
  
"But you remained is class B like you wanted."  
  
Leon strolled over to a circle of people who were around a table. Three people were having an  
argument. All three of them were about his age, two of them were wearing matching uniforms.  
The third boy had shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a sleeveless jacket with  
two shades of blue, navy blue slacks and matching gloves. He had his feet put up on the table  
and was leaning back in his chair, taking the front two legs off the ground.  
  
"What's going on?" Leon asked one of the bystanders.  
  
"Those two are Zoid Warriors. The third one's a mercenary. He won a match for them and when  
they tried to hire him again, he refused. They've been bugging him all week."  
  
"Won't take no for an answer?"  
  
"Nope. And all of them are too stubborn to back down." It was then that the squabble got  
physical. One of the Warriors let loose with a wild left hook. The mercenary leaned back. His  
chair hit the floor and he rolled back and into a squat position.  
  
The Warrior's partner charged forward. But Leon tipped over another chair and he went spilling.  
  
The mercenary looked up at Leon. "Thanks," he said dryly.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Come on, let's get a drink. I'm buying."  
  
"Mother told me never to pass up a free drink." The two went over to the bar and ordered their  
drinks.  
  
"Name's Leon Torros. You?"  
  
"Just call me Brad."  
  
"All right, Brad. I'm a Zoid Warrior myself. I'm part of the Blitz Team."  
  
"Never heard of it."  
  
"We're a new team. We need a third player. Wanna join?"  
  
"Depends, how much are you offering?"  
  
"Right now, we don't have a lot of money. But as we win battles, we get prize money. And the  
more battles we win, the more prize money we get."  
  
"Sounds interesting. All right, I'll do it. But if this proves to be a waste of time, I'm  
leaving and you'll have to pay the interest."  
  
"Fair enough. Do you need a Zoid?"  
  
"No, I have a Command Wolf."  
  
"Come on, let me take you back to our base."  
  
  
Leon took the jeep back to the new Blitz Team Headquarters and Brad followed. On the way, they  
noticed a Pterrus in the hangar. Leon figured it was just another Zoid that his father got.  
  
"Hey Dad, I have good news," Leon said.  
  
"So do I," Doc Torros replied.  
  
"I've found our third member," both said. "You did? Who?"  
  
"Leon, this is Jamie, he's... a friend of the family so to speak." The boy walked up to them.  
  
"Um... Dad, this is Brad, he's a Zoid Mercenary. I promised we'd pay him as soon as we start  
winning battles."  
  
"It appears we have two new members now," Doc. Torros observed. "I guess one of you is going to  
have to go."  
  
"No they won't, Dad," Leena stormed in. Looking at Brad and Jamie, she said, "you both are  
welcome to join us."  
  
"I'm in," Jamie said happily.  
  
"I'm only in it for the prize money."  
  
"Yes!" Doc. Torros cried. "The Blitz Team is assembled!"  
  
  
  
The next day, the Blitz Team set out in their Hovercargo. All four Zoids had been loaded up.  
  
"I created a catapult system that will propell you onto the battlefield," Doc. Torros said from  
the control room. "But Leena's D-Bison is too heavy so it's been loaded onto the lower cargo  
hold."  
  
Leon climbed into his Shield Liger. Checking his power systems, he activated the comm. link  
that ran between the four Zoids. "This is Leon, can everyone hear me?"  
  
"Roger."  
  
"Affirmative."  
  
"You bet, Bro." Leon smiled. Leena didn't get to bed until late that night but she was still  
as energetic and hyper as ever.  
  
The lower hatch on the Hover Cargo opened and the D-Bison stumbled out. Above her in the main  
cargo hold on the snail-shaped vessel, a top opened and a ramp extended.  
  
"Leon here, ready to launch Shield Liger."  
  
"Brad here, ready to launch Command Wolf."  
  
"Jamie here, ready to launch Pterrus."  
  
"Hang on, you guys, the force is pretty powerful. It utilizes reverse magnetic thrust."  
  
"Reverse what...?" Leon started to ask.  
  
"Launching Shield Liger!" Leon was forced back into his seat as his Zoid was thrown onto the  
dirt-encrusted battlefield beside his sister.  
  
"Launching Command Wolf! Launching Pterrus!" The Command Wolf landed on the other side of  
Leon. Jamie let out a yelp as he struggled to get the Pterrus into flight.  
  
"All right, let's rumble!" Leena said as she got ready to move her D-Bison.  
  
"Whoa there, Triggerhappy," Brad said.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Leena snapped.  
  
"We need to wait."  
  
"For what?" No sooner had that question been asked, then something crashed into the ground near  
their location causing a large shockwave that almost blew the Zoids back into the Hover Cargo.  
  
"What was that?" Jamie asked.  
  
"That's a Judge Capsule," Brad explained.  
  
"I've heard of them," Doc. Torros said. "They serve as the referees for Zoid battles. They're  
launched from satellites high above orbit.  
  
The capsule raised itself above the crater it left. The hatch opened and a strange robotic  
figure stood inside. He was mostly circular with arms but no hands, just painted squares. A  
black screen was mounted on the "face"  
  
"The Judge," Leena said in awe.  
  
An alarm blared out as a robotic voice announced, "The area within a 10 mile radius is a  
designated Zoid battlefield. Only competitors and authorized personnell are allowed to be here,   
all others must leave immediately! Danger, danger!"  
  
"All Zoid pilots must insert their Zoid gear now!" Everybody took a strange device and inserted  
it into their Zoid's computer system.  
  
"Registration received," the Judge announced. "Battlefield set up. The Buster Team versus the   
Blitz Team. Battle Mode 0982. Ready......... FIGHT!" The Judge crossed his arms signalling   
the battle to begin.  
  
The Blitz Team lost that first round. They lost the next five rounds. After their sixth battle,  
they tredged back to base licking their wounds.  
  
  
  
That night, they all sat in the common room of the base, nursing hot drinks.  
  
"Guys, I've been doing some calculating," Jamie said. "And if we keep on this loosing streek,  
we'll barely able to remain as a team."  
  
"That's too bad," Brad commented.  
  
Jamie lowered his head. "I'm sorry, guys, I'm a handicap to you. I'll understand if you don't  
want me on the team."  
  
"No it's not your fault, Jamie," Leon said sternly. "It's the fault of the whole team."  
  
"Well I know it can't be my fault," Leena said. "I'm too beautiful to do anything wrong."  
The men all rolled their eyes.  
  
"Sorry, Brad, I guess we won't be able to pay you," Leon said. "You can leave any time you  
want."  
  
"I'm staying," Brad declared. "At least until I get some decent pay."  
  
"Well, that's your perogative," Leon replied.  
  
"I guess I'll be the one to leave then," Jamie said.  
  
"You know, Jamie, we need a strategist," Torros said.  
  
"A what?"  
  
"A strategist. Someone who can analyze the enemy's moves and prepare an effective counterattack.  
You'd be perfect for it."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"You bet I do, Jamie. And besides, it never hurts to have a backup Warrior in case of  
emergencies."  
  
Jamie smiled. "All right, I'm in."  
  
"Good, you can start by reviewing the profiles of our next opponents."  
  
"Who is that?"  
  
"They're called the Tigers Team." 


	2. The Ghost In The Shell

Zoids-S  
  
Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Zoids nor know who owns Zoids. If anybody does, please e-mail me.  
  
Continuity Note: This obviously takes place after the Frightday the Thirteenth episode. I guess  
it takes place just before Brad gets the Shadow Fox.  
  
Other Note: I don't know either Brad's or Jamie's last names so I'm inventing ones. If anybody   
knows what their real last name are, please e-mail me. Okay, enough about that,  
on with the show.  
  
  
Prologue 2: Ghost In The Shell  
  
  
"Phew, three battles in one day," Bit Cloud groaned as he exited the Hover Cargo. "I don't know  
about you guys, but I'm pooped."  
  
"You're such a wimp, Bit," Leena Torros said. "Those battles weren't even hard ones. And   
one was the Champ Team for crying out loud. How could you be pooped after battling them?"  
  
"We got a lot of prize money," Brad Raysure pointed out. "I think whatever exhaustion we  
received is definitely worth it."  
  
"Spoken like a true mercenary, Brad," Bit commented. As Bit and Brad oversaw the unloading of  
their Zoids, Leena went outside to get some fresh air. She couldn't believe how far they came  
since the old days. They've all gotten so good, and it's all because of...  
  
Leena paused. How was it that the day when they started winning battles was the same day Bit  
showed up and they discovered that he could pilot the reckless Liger Zero? Was the only reason  
they were winning was because of Bit and Liger Zero?  
  
Leena shook her head. That was impossible. Winning Zoid battles was the result of the whole  
team working together, not just one Zoid. Then again, Brad and Leena had been knocked out of  
the battle more times than Bit, maybe...  
  
Leena was shaken from her pondering by a childish giggle. She looked around to discover a  
small girl wearing a sailor dress and sun bonnet bouncing a glowing white ball.  
  
Leena's heart froze. It couldn't be. It was that girl. The girl that lead her to the man with  
the decapitated Rev Raptor, the one who was at the battle between the Blitz and Fluegel Teams  
and the so-called "Chainsaw Men." The one that was with that sixth Spino Sappa.  
  
"You... It can't be you..." Leena froze. The girl walked up to her, laughing childishly. She  
threw the ball to Leena, who caught it in both hands. Leena couldn't believe she was back.  
Why was she here? Did it have something to do with the Spino Sappas?  
  
"Leena?" A voice called from behind her as a hand was laid on her shoulder. Upon reflex,   
Leena twirled around and let loose with a wild backhand that sent her opponent crashing to the   
ground.  
  
"Don't startle me like that, Bit!" She shouted. "What do you think you're doing, sneaking up  
on me like that. Don't..."  
  
"Uh... Leena, I'm over here," Bit's voice called from Leena's left. Leena turned and saw Bit  
staring at the person she knocked down.  
  
"But if that's you, then who...?" Leena slowly turned her head. The person she had knocked down  
was Jamie.  
  
"Oh my God, Jamie, I'm sorry."  
  
"Salright," Jamie said dazed. The two came out to see what Leena was doing and saw that she  
was staring at nothing. Bit didn't want to go up to her for fear of getting smacked so Jamie  
went up instead. Obviously, that was a mistake on Jamie's part.  
  
Leena looked around for the girl, but she had disappeared. Even Leena's hands were empty, empty  
of the ball that the girl threw her.  
  
Bit and Leena helped the poor kid up and back into the building.  
  
  
That night, Leena sat on her bed, legs pulled up against her chest. The image of the ghost girl  
still haunted her mind. Why was she here? The Zoid Chop Shop Gang was in jail, weren't they?   
So why was the girl still haunting her. Could it be...  
  
{Wait a minute,} Leena's rational mind (something that she rarely listened to) said, {Dad once  
told me a story about a lumberjack who died and his... wife, was it? No, it was her daughter  
who also died. But that was just a story, wasn't it? A rumor?} Leena got up and pulled on a   
robe over her nightgown. She left her room and transversed the hallway into the planning room,   
where the computers were. Sitting at the computer, she began activating it.  
  
{The Zoid Battle Commission has an extensive database,} she thought. {Maybe that can help me  
track down whoever this girl was.} The problem was Leena didn't know where to start. She didn't  
know how long the girl had been dead, what age she was when she died. Wait a minute, that was  
it. The girl looked like she was between 6 and 10 years old. All she had to do was look in the  
database for anybody who died as a child.  
  
  
"Leena? Leena, wake up. Leena..." Leena slowly opened her eyes. They cane into focus around  
a black screen. Leena looked around and spotted the others standing around her, still in their  
pajamas.  
  
"Leena, are you all right?" Her father asked.  
  
"Yeah... I'm fine, what time is it."  
  
"9 o'clock," Bit replied. "You must've been here all night. What were you doing?"  
  
"Well to tell you the truth I was..." Leena looked at the screen and realized that she must've  
fell asleep for a long time. If the screen was left on for longer than fifteen minutes   
without further commands, it goes into a sleeper stage in which it shuts down and all data on it,  
unless saved, lost.  
  
"Well?" Brad asked.  
  
"No reason, just wasn't tired at the time. Dad, do we have any battles today?"  
  
"No. After the battle against the Backdraft Group, the Zoid Battle Commission felt we deserved  
a little break."  
  
"That's good." Without another word, Leena got up and went to the shower.  
  
  
That afternoon, Leena took her Gun Sniper into Romeo City, a popular hangout for Zoid Warriors.  
Parking her Zoid outside the city (next to two Rev Raptors and a Lightning Scythe), she went  
into a bar.  
  
"Soda," she requested of the bartender. As she drank, she thought about her next move. Her  
database search, at least up until the time she fell asleep, came up with a big fat zip. Maybe  
she was going about this the wrong way. Maybe it was just her overactive imagination. Bit and  
Jamie hadn't seen her, nobody else has.  
  
Leena lazily looked up towards the big monitor, expecting to see a Zoid battle, but just a news  
report muted.  
  
Suddenly Leena spat out the soda she was drinking. A picture came on the screen. A picture of  
a little girl wearing a sailor dress and a sun bonnet. The ghost girl.  
  
"Turn it up," Leena requested to the bartender.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Turn it up I said!"  
  
"Sorry, I..."  
  
Leena grabbed him by the collar. "WHAT PART OF TURN IT UP DIDN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," the bartender replied. He picked up the remote and hit the mute button.  
  
"...line Edwards, who died nine years ago. Madeline was the daughter of Victor Edwards, one of  
the designers on the Zoid Spino Sappa. While no body was found, Madeline's grave is currently  
at the cemetery in Hugoth City, which is about twenty kilometers north of Romeo City..."  
  
"That's it!" Leena cried. "The ghost was that of Madeline Edwards, and she has appeared to me  
probably because she wants me to visit her grave. Maybe if I go there, I'll figure out what  
she wants! YES, I'M GOOD!"  
  
"And I thought Bit was overenthusiastic," a gruff voice said from behind her. Leena turned   
around to discover Jack Sisqo standing behind her.  
  
"Jack, what are you doing here?"  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, this is a public place."  
  
"Oh yeah. Well nice seeing you, I'll tell Bit you said hi, I gotta get to Hugoth City."  
  
"Mind if I ask why?" The mercenary asked.  
  
"I gotta see a dead girl and ask her what she wants," Leena replied hastily. Jack gave her an  
odd look. Leena just ran out to her Gun Sniper.  
  
"This I gotta see."  
  
Leena moved her Gun Sniper to the north road and started moving along it. It wasn't long before  
Jack's Lightning Scythe caught up to her.  
  
Leena opened a comm. link to Jack. "What are you doing, Jack? I didn't ask for your company."  
  
"I didn't offer it," Jack came back. "But after what you said in the bar, I decided to check  
this out for myself. Why would you be interested in a girl who lived over nine years ago?"  
  
"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
"After some of the stuff I've seen you Blitz Team members do, I'm willing to give you the benefit  
of a doubt."  
  
"Well, for your information, I saw the ghost of a girl who matched Madeline's picture. I saw  
her a total of three times. The first time, she lead me to a man with a sliced up Rev Raptor.  
The second time was when we went up against the Spino Sappas who were trying to cut up my Zoid,  
and the third time was last night, just outside our base."  
  
"So why would a dead girl's ghost be coming to you?"  
  
"Don't know. Maybe she needs me for something because I'm the only one who can give it to her."  
  
Jack decided to keep his comments to himself for now.  
  
  
It wasn't long before the two Zoids arrived at Hugoth City. It was actually more of a town than  
a city. There weren't too many buildings, but there were a lot of houses around.  
  
"So now what do we do?" Jack asked as they exited their Zoids.  
  
"I guess we find the cemetery." Leena went up to a middle age black woman walking with a  
stroller. "Excuse me, where can we find the cemetery?"  
  
"Which one?" She asked.  
  
"What do you mean which one?" Leena asked.  
  
"You two from out of town?"  
  
"Yeah," both Jack and Leena replied.  
  
"Well, just to let you know, this town has over fifteen cemeteries."  
  
"FIFTEEN CEMETERIES!" Leena gasped, wide-eyed.  
  
Jack crossed his arms. "This mustn't be a very popular town if so many people are dying."  
  
"Look, smart guy, the reason our town has so many cemeteries is because no other town wants them.  
Say they want the area used for Zoid battling. You ask me, them Zoid people is just a bunch of  
chickens."  
  
Leena was about to shout out that she wasn't a chicken when Jack interrupted her. "You know  
Madeline Edwards?"  
  
"I know of her."  
  
"Do you know which cemetery she's burried in."  
  
"Sorry, can't help you two on that."  
  
"Well is she burried in this town?" Leena spoke up.  
  
"Probably is, along with over 250 other stiffs." And then the woman turned and walked away.  
  
"So now what, Sherlock," Jack asked. "You have fifteen cemeteries. Are you going to check  
every one?"  
  
"Guess so," Leena shrugged. "How else are we going to find Madeline's grave?"  
  
"Did you say Madeline?" An elderly voice asked. An old man walked up to them. He fit the  
stereotype profile of an old man. Thin, with bony arms and legs. White hair and missing more  
than a couple of teeth. He was dressed in denim overalls, grungy work boots and carrying a  
large wooden shovel with a spade attachment. "You wouldn't by any chance be looking for  
Madeline Edwards' grave, would you?"  
  
"Yes, we are," Leena replied.  
  
"Well you're in luck, just so happen I work at the cemetery where she's burried."  
  
"Please lead us to it," Leena said shaking his shoulders.  
  
"All right, all right, don't get your stockings in a knot, follow me." The man, whom Leena and  
Jack decided was a caretaker, lead them to the far end of town.  
  
  
"Thanks, Benjamin," Jamie said as he terminated the link with Harry's squatty robot assistant.  
  
"No luck?" Doc Torros asked.  
  
"None. Neither Naomi, Leon, or Harry have seen Leena in the past two hours."  
  
"I assume Harry's taking it pretty badly."  
  
"Considering he was too grief-stricken to talk to us, yeah."  
  
"I just hope Brad had better luck than us," Doc Torros said as said warriors walked in.  
  
"Jack pot," Brad said.  
  
"You've found Leena?" Torros asked excitedly.  
  
"Not exactly, but I know where she been. The Bartender at Romeo City said he saw her leave in  
the company of somebody named Jack."  
  
"Jack Sisqo." Bit slammed his fist into his palm. "What has he got in all of this?"  
  
"Kidnapping really isn't Jack's style," Jamie said. "Besides if he did, he would fall out of  
favor with the Zoid Battle Commission. They would revoke his license."  
  
"The Bartender also said that Leena was really into a news report about the anniversary of  
Madeline Edwards' death."  
  
"Madeline Edwards, who's she?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Wait a second," Bit said.  
  
"What is it, Bit?" Brad questioned.  
  
"A few years before I joined the Blitz Team, I decided to make a pit stop in Hugoth City. The  
people there were talking a lot about Madeline Edwards' death. Said it was real controversial  
because the officials all say she died in a Zoid battle when in fact there were no Zoid battles  
that day. The townspeople all said she was murdered and her body destroyed."  
  
"Could Hugoth City be where Leena and Jack were heading?" Jamie inquired.  
  
"Considering how the Bartender said she practically announced to the whole world that she was  
heading to Hugoth City," Brad explained. "I'd say yeah."  
  
"It's possible that whatever fate befelled Madeline Edwards would also befall Leena and Jack,"  
Torros concluded. "We have to go rescue them! Bit, Jamie, I want you to take the Reynos and  
Zero-Jager to Hugoth City. Brad and I will join you in the Hovercargo. Let's go, people!"  
  
  
The old man lead Leena and Jack to a cemetery on the far end of town. He made small talk along  
the way.  
  
"I'm surprised you're here to see Madeline," the old man said.  
  
"Why?" Jack asked.  
  
"Hardly anyone comes to visit her grave any more."  
  
"Doesn't she have any family members or friends?" Leena voiced.  
  
"Nope. Her father died about three years ago. Nobody knows about any other relatives and as  
for friends..." He shook his head. "Her father kept her pretty isolated. It was a wonder he  
even let her go to school."  
  
"You seem to know a lot about her life," Jack accused.  
  
Leena elbowed him. "Jack," she hissed. "Of course he would know, he was probably alive before  
her death."  
  
"Your lady friend's right," the old man said. "I've been with this town since the beginning.  
So of course I would know about her. Ah, here we are." The old man stopped at a cemetery field  
about the length of a house. There weren't a lot of tombstones. Jack and Leena were led up to  
a rusted-looking one.  
  
Sure enough, the tombstone had Madeline's name on it. Any other information was covered by  
weeds. Leena moved the weeds away to show her birth date and the date of her death. According  
to it, she died when she was only seven years old.  
  
"How was she killed?" Leena asked the old man.  
  
"That's the strange thing." The old man shook his head. "Everybody said she died when she got  
caught in the middle of a Zoid battle. Thing is, there were no Zoid battles that day."  
  
"Did she have any sort of illness or disease?" Jack asked.  
  
"None. She was fit as a fiddle and smart as a tack."  
  
Leena sighed. They were back to square one. There was no doubt in her mind that the ghost she  
saw was definitely that of Madeline Edwards. But if she didn't appear to have Leena visit her  
grave, why did she appear? Was it simply for kicks? Leena didn't like being dragged around like  
a Zoid with a piece broken off. What was going on?  
  
Suddenly she heard the laughing again. The chilling childish laughter. She looked around and  
spotted Madeline's ghost, standing by the entrance to the cemetery. She pushed past Jack and  
the old man and ran to the exit.  
  
"Wait, where are you going?" Jack called. Leena didn't answer him. She was focused on   
Madeline's ghost.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked. For the first time, Madeline raised her head to look at Leena.  
Her eyes were big and purple, just like Leena's own. The ghost then turned and took off down  
the street.  
  
"Madeline, wait," Leena pleaded. For some reason, Leena found it easy to keep up with Madeline's  
ghost as it lead her out of town and over to the mountains near Hugoth City. But by the time  
Leena got to the base of the mountain, she was gone.  
  
Leena thought she knew what was going on now. Madeline appeared to her because the two looked  
similarly alike. And she wanted Leena to discover something, but what?  
  
Leena slid her hands along the side of the mountain. Suddenly a slab of rock jiggled like it  
was loose. Leena put more pressure on it and it moved in. She was now in a hidden cave. Leena  
crept along the side wall. Leena's hand suddenly landed on something round with three holes in  
it. Leena thought it was a bowling ball, but she was dead wrong.  
  
Emphasis on dead.  
  
Leena's hand landed on a human skull.  
  
Leena screamed into her hand. She thought she was going to pass out, but she knew that if she  
did, Bit would never let her hear the end of it. So she pulled herself together and forced  
herself to look at the skull. In fact, it was a whole skeleton leaning against the wall like it  
was sitting down. A small skeleton wearing a dress and sun bonnet and carrying a big white ball   
in what was once her lap.  
  
Leena couldn't believe her eyes. This was her, this was Madeline Edwards' body, or what was left  
of it. This was probably where her killers were. Leena knew what she had to do. She had to  
find the killers and rip them a new one, pay them back for murdering Madeline.  
  
Leena continued and when she came to the interior of the cavern, she couldn't believe her eyes.   
Zoid parts were strewn about like yesterday's garbage. But they were unlike any Zoid  
parts she had ever seen. One part looked like the blade to a Blade Liger but it was an unusual  
color. Another looked like the tooth to a Saber Tiger but it was shiny and much sharper.  
  
Leena heard voices coming from the back. Leena saw that there was a doorway that lead into  
what Leena could determine was a living quarters. By listening to them, Leena found out a lot   
of info. It seemed like they were collectors, collectors of "special" Zoid parts.   
Leena didn't know what they meant by that, but if the parts she saw were any indication, they  
were going to give Zoid Warriors a bad rep. Plus they murdered a little girl. She could   
tell they were trouble.  
  
Leena wanted to find out more, but she accidentally stepped on a gun barrel that looked like it  
was from a shot cannon. The barrel rolled in front of the doorway. Immediately, the ones  
inside knew they were in trouble.  
  
Leena turned to run but someone grabbed the back of her shirt and twirled her around. She was  
staring into the face of a man who looked like her father's age with short dark hair and hazel  
eyes. He kind of looked like a grown-up version of Jamie.  
  
When the man saw Leena, he gasped and staggered back. "No," he cried. "It can't be. It can't  
be you! You're dead! You're dead!" Leena saw her chance. She sucker-punched the guy and  
took off. But the guy's friends were more smarter than him. Some of them went into another part  
of the cave while others went after Leena. Leena staggered out.  
  
"Jack, Jack!" She called. One of the "collectors" was about to grab her by the waist when he  
stopped with fright at what he saw. He was staring into the blue-white face of Liger-Zero-Jager.  
  
"Liger Zero," Leena said relieved. For once, she was glad to see Bit.  
  
"Leena, are you all right?" Bit's voice called from the Liger's cockpit.  
  
"I'm fine. But there are some people in there who are getting away."  
  
"Don't worry," Bit assured her. "Jamie and Jack are on the case." Sure enough, three Hellcats  
equipped with invisibility devices took off. But the Reynos and Lightning Scythe quickly  
surrounded them with their supersonic speed and pelted them with machine gun fire.  
  
Leena sighed. It was finally over.  
  
  
A while later, the Hovercargo appeared along with the authorities in police Rev Raptors and a  
Whale King that served as the paddy wagon. As the thieves were being loaded into the Whale King,  
Leena stopped the one who first spotted her, the one who accused her of being dead.  
  
"Did you kill Madeline Edwards?" She asked simply.  
  
Knowing she could've slugged him again, he replied, "yeah, I did. The kid was too nosy, just  
like you. She stumbled onto our hideout, we had to deal with her. I killed her and burned her  
body. Then made it look like she was the unfortunate victim of being caught in a Zoid battle."   
Leena stepped back as the crook was proded up into the paddy wagon.  
  
Bit came out of the hideout and over to where Jamie, Brad, and Jack were. "You guys aren't going  
to believe the Zoid parts they have in there. Illegal Zoid parts."  
  
"Illegal Zoid parts?" Jamie questioned.  
  
"Yeah. Radiation blades, shockwavers, even an electron disruptor. I've read about such parts  
but I never seen them up close. All these parts banned by the Zoid Battle Commission because  
they were too dangerous."  
  
"So these guys were collecting illegal Zoid parts and didn't want anyone to find out, so they  
killed anyone who got too close," Leena deduced. "One thing, how did you guys find me?"  
  
"Jack radioed us from his Lightning Scythe," Jamie explained.  
  
"Thanks, Jack, I owe you one."  
  
Jack crossed his arms. "It's guys like those who give Zoid warriors a bad name."  
  
"I guess the real one to thank would be that caretaker," Leena said. "Hey, where is he  
anyway?"  
  
"We didn't see anyone on our way in," Brad explained.  
  
"That can't be right. Jack, you saw him, didn't you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Ho boy, I think the two of you might've been out in the sun too long," Brad said. Leena turned  
and ran back to the cemetery. But the old man wasn't there.  
  
Leena stopped a man on the street. "Excuse me, where does the caretaker that watches over this  
cemetery live?"  
  
"Caretaker? Lady, this town doesn't hire caretakers. If we did, the town would've gone broke."  
  
"What?... But then who was the old man who lead us to Madeline's grave?" The man just shrugged.  
Leena then remembered the news report. It said Madeline was the daughter of Victor Edwards,   
who was a designer of the Spino Sappa. And speaking of which, that sixth Spino Sappa that was  
there on the 13th. Could that have been...  
  
Leena gulped then hurried back to the others.  
  
  
That night, Leena stood again outside of the Blitz Team's base, staring at the two moons that  
shared a single orbit. Suddenly Madeline appeared. This time, Leena wasn't scared. Instead,  
she was glad to see her. The Blitz Team member went up to her.  
  
"The Zoid Parts Black Market has been shut down," Leena told her. Madeline nodded.  
"You were trying to contact me because you knew what was going on. You wanted me to put a stop  
to them and avenge your death, right?" Again, Madeline nodded.  
  
Madeline took off her hat. Her hair was blonde and fell down over her ears, but other than that,  
she looked like a miniture version of Leena. It was then that something else walked up besides  
Madeline. It was a Spino Sappa, but a very small one. It was probably about three times  
Madeline's height. A normal one would be about twenty times.  
  
"Your daughter's body will be burried next to yours, Mr Edwards. The two of you will finally be   
together like you always wanted," Leena said. "You both can finally rest in peace."  
  
For the first time, Madeline opened her mouth. She simply said, "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome. Both of you." The two spirits began dissolving. Leena watched as their  
particles floated into the night sky and disappear. She waved good-bye, then went back inside  
the base. 


	3. New Beginnings: Welcome to Class-S

Organized under strict rules and regulations, Zoid battles are fighting competitions held on  
enormous battlefields using mechanical combat units known as Zoids. The enthusiastic young  
warriors put their pride on the line and sharpen their skills against one another. Battle mode  
approved! Area scanned! Battlefield set up! Ready.... FIGHT!  
  
Zoids-S  
  
Episode 1: New Beginnings/Welcome to Class S  
  
It has been four months since the Blitz Team won the World Cup and advanced into the elite Class  
S. Since then, the Blitz Team: Bit Cloud, Leena Torros, Brad Roberts, and Jamie Heiber, have  
been enjoying a well-earned vacation. But now, they will be called into action again to battle  
opponents more powerful and cunning than before. Lots of things will change.  
  
But some things will never change.  
  
  
"BIT CLOUD, YOU COME BACK HERE WITH MY COOKIE!" The recipient of that shout was running   
throughout the cargo bay of the base carrying a half-eaten sugar cookie. Behind him was a   
young woman with red hair and violet-colored eyes throwing everything throwable from   
wrenches to pans to cannon barrels and Zoid ammo. The chase went around the room for about five  
minutes before the toe-head boy was able to take refuge behind a large white lion-like machine.  
  
"One of these days you won't be able to hide behind the Liger, Bit. And then you'll pay!"  
  
"Yeah, but fortunately that won't be today, Leena," Bit replied taking a bite into the cookie.  
  
Leena let out a growl that would've made even the mighty Liger Zero tremble. She then stomped  
away.  
  
Brad and Jamie heard this specticle from the main room where they were watching TV and working on  
the computer respectively.  
  
"Do those two ever stop pestering one another?" Brad asked without looking up.  
  
"I doubt it," Jamie replied, also without looking up from what he was doing. Over time, the two  
have become so used to the bickering that they've even managed to drown it out entirely, only  
listening to see if Bit and Leena stopped. Sometimes, the fights between those two could last  
hours.  
  
There was an inhuman scream as Bit ran by them. His shirt had been torn in several places.  
Close behind him was Leena carrying something that looked like one of the Liger Zero's teeth.  
The sounds of fighting could be heard.  
  
"Those two must really care about each other" Brad droaned.  
  
"Think we should set a wedding date?" Jamie asked. It was a good thing Leena was chasing Bit   
otherwise she would've turned on Jamie and the poor kid would've been able to survive it.  
  
It was then that Doctor Torros walked in. He was absolutely giddy over something.  
  
"Bit, Leena, Brad, Jamie," he called. "Come quickly!" Leena came in carrying a battered Bit  
Cloud over her shoulder.  
  
"What's up, Dad?" Leena asked. Bit moaned in pain.  
  
"It just came in, information about the Class-S!"  
  
"That's great," Brad said.  
  
"Yeah, I want you all to hear it." Doc. Torros half-heartedly closed down the program Jamie was  
working on (getting a protest from Jamie in the process) and brought up a new screen. The being  
on the screen was a Judge, a robotic referee of Zoid battles.  
  
"Attention Blitz Team," the Judge said in its digitized voice. "You are summoned to Vanguard  
City for registration for Class-S battles. Once in Vanguard City, you will receive information  
about your battles as well as meeting other Class-S Zoid teams. Again, report to Vanguard City  
for registration for Class-S."  
  
"What's Vanguard City?" Brad asked.  
  
"Vanguard City is like a meeting place for all the Class-S teams," Jamie explained. "Everything  
in that city is for the Class-S teams, even the restaurants."  
  
"So it's like a special club?" Leena asked. Bit let out another moan. Leena bopped him on the  
head and shut him up.  
  
"That's right," Doc. Torros said. "I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so excited!"  
  
"That's... good, Doc," Jamie said as if what he wanted to say was 'better humor him, he's in one  
of his moods.'  
  
"Get a good night sleep, everybody," Doc. Torros said. "Tomorrow, we become one of the elite,  
the Class-S team!"  
  
"Leena, could you please put me down," Bit requested warily.  
  
"Oh, sure." Leena dropped him on the ground. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your  
perspective), Bit landed on his head.  
  
  
Early the next morning, Leena came into the cargo bay to discover Bit working on the insides of  
Liger Zero.  
  
"Ready for our entrance into Class-S, Liger?" The Liger let out a series of roars. "Are you  
kidding? I was born ready." Another series of roars. "Ha-ha, very funny, Liger. You should  
be a comedian." More roars. "Tell me about it, an opportunity like this doesn't come along  
every day." More roars. "True, but on the other hand, if we weren't on our own, we wouldn't be  
able to enter the Class-S." The last set of roars almost sounded mournful to Leena. Don't   
worry, Liger, as long as we're together, we can tackle anything."  
  
If there was one quality about Bit Cloud that Leena admired, it was his ability to communicate  
with the Liger Zero. It was like the two shared a language that nobody else could understand.  
But it was something beyond that. It was like the two were made for each other. Perhaps that  
was why they won so many battles, because the two acted as one being.  
  
"Hey, Bit," Leena greeted. Bit was startled and fell into the Liger Zero's cockpit. He peeked  
out from it.  
  
"Hey, Leena, look, sorry about the cookie thing yesterday."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Leena said. "If we're to actually get somewhere in Class-S, we're going  
to have to work together."  
  
"That's going to be tough. We're not exactly the type of people who get along."  
  
"You have a point, but we're going to have to at least give it a try."  
  
Liger let out a series of roars. "Liger says that if I can handle working with him, then I can  
handle working with you," Bit translated.  
  
"Looks like it's a deal." It was then that the harness lowered automatically. It smacked Bit  
in the head. The Liger's roars sounded almost like laughing.  
  
"I guess some things will never change," Bit scowled at the Liger. Leena let out a small laugh  
as well.  
  
"Well, good morning you two," said a cheerful voice. Doc. Torros walked in. "Getting an early  
start, huh?"  
  
"That's right," Bit replied. "I just wanted to make sure Liger was ready in case we had to go  
into battle today."  
  
"Well I doubt we would go into battle today since we aren't even registered but I guess it never  
hurts to be prepared."  
  
A few hours later, the Blitz Team's hovercargo transport was on its way towards Vanguard City.  
All of their Zoids were loaded up. As usual, Jamie sat at the helm control. Leena stood by  
her father at the main control panel.  
  
"I can see it," Bit said from Jamie's left. An incredible future-like city stood in the  
distance.  
  
"Wow," Jamie gasped. "It's huge."  
  
"Something tells me being in Class-S is going to be worth it," Brad commented. Jamie piloted  
the hovercargo to the edge of the city since it was too big to fit in the streets. Everybody  
got out and wandered through the town. The registration building looked like a ski lodge with  
log walls and flat-top roof. Torros strolled up to the woman who was at the counter.  
  
"Hello there, Miss," he greeted. The name tag on her shirt said 'Talia'. "My name is Stephen   
Torros, we're here to apply for Class-S membership."  
  
"What is the name of your team?" Talia asked.  
  
"We're the Blitz Team," Bit said proudly.  
  
"Blitz Team," the woman reported reading from her screen. "Oh yes, you won the most recent  
Royal Cup. I'm going to need the names and Zoids of each member."  
  
Jamie went first. "I'm Jamie Heiber, my Zoid is a Reynos."  
  
"Brad Roberts, former pilot of the Command Wolf, now pilot of the Shadow Fox."  
  
"Leena Torros, Gun Sniper."  
  
"Okay," the woman said, "Looks like that's..." She looked up and saw Bit staring at some of the  
other warriors.   
  
{I can't believe I'm back here agains,} Bit commented. {I wonder if... nah, she wouldn't be here  
now, would she?}  
  
"Hey, kid, what's your name."  
  
Bit turned towards the woman. "Me? My name's Bit Cloud, I'm the pilot of Liger Zero." All of  
a sudden, the noise factor in the room dropped. The Blitz Team looked around to discover that  
most of the patrons in the room staring at them, or to be more specific, at Bit. The looks were  
those of a suspicious nature.  
  
"A Liger Zero?" The woman asked with a skeptic look.  
  
Bit scowled. "Yeah, a Liger Zero. Is that a problem?"  
  
"Are you sure it's a Liger Zero?" The woman asked.  
  
"Of course I'm sure. Look, lady, if you need some proof, why don't you..."  
  
"Excuse me, ma'am," Doc Torros interrupted. "But is there a problem with us having a Liger  
Zero?" He gave her an odd look.  
  
"No... of course not," the woman replied. "Bit Cloud, pilot of Liger Zero. Okay, it will take  
some time before the registration is completed. You will receive information on your battle   
later. In the mean time, please enjoy the hospitality of Vanguard City."  
  
"Thank you, we sure will."  
  
"That was weird," Leena said. "Did you guys notice how everybody was staring once Bit announced   
that he was the pilot of the Liger Zero."  
  
"Well Ligers are extremely rare," Doc. Torros commented. "Perhaps they weren't expecting such a  
rare Zoid in our company."  
  
"You think that will have any affect on whether or not we remain in Class-S?" Jamie asked.  
  
"I doubt it," Torros answered. "I mean they allow Shield Ligers and Blade Ligers, there  
shouldn't be any problem with a Liger Zero."  
  
But Bit's mind was on another trail of thought. {They're probably wondering what a bum like me  
is doing with such a special Zoid.}  
  
The Blitz Team took seats in the waiting room. Leena and Jamie noticed that some of the other  
people were still staring at Bit. They shared a look and hoped that nothing bad would come from  
all this.  
  
"Don't let their looks get to you," a voice said. "They give everybody those types of looks."  
A young girl sat between Bit and Brad. She had midnight-blue hair and black eyes. She handed  
Bit a drink.  
  
"Uh... thanks..." Bit had never seen this girl before, and from the looks of the others, neither  
have they. Except... was that jealousy in Leena's eyes? Probably just because Bit was the only  
one given a drink and not the others.  
  
"My name's Kayla Fernand," the girl introduced. "I'm part of the Nuke Team."  
  
"Bit Cloud of the Blitz Team." The two shook hands. "That's Leena, Jamie, Brad and Doctor  
Torros."  
  
Kayla smiled. "Nice to meet you all."  
  
"So, been in Class-S long?" Brad asked.  
  
"About eight months. My team won the Royal Cup in the South Region."  
  
"I thought there was only one Royal Cup," Jamie said.  
  
"Nope. In case you guys haven't noticed, this is a big planet. There are four Royal Cups, one  
for each region and each of them are different. The Southern Royal Cup happens every ten months.  
The Northern Royal Cup happens every year. The Eastern Royal Cup takes place every eighteen  
months and the Western Royal Cup happens every four years."  
  
"We must've taken part in the Western Royal Cup," Bit figured.  
  
"So how many Class-S are there?" Brad questioned.  
  
"Only this."  
  
"You know a lot about this, Kayla," Leena noted. "How long have you been a Zoid pilot?  
  
"I was a Zoid Pilot since I was 8."  
  
"8!" Bit and Leena gasped at the same time. "How old are you?"  
  
"I'm 16."  
  
"Wow, you look younger than me." Jamie observed.  
  
Kayla gave him an annoyed look. "Look, pal, just because I look young doesn't mean I can kick  
your butt." Jamie was taken aback. Bad first impression.  
  
"You'll have to forgive my sister," a new voice came out. "She's very sensitive about her age."  
The boy who was the source of that voice was very tall. His hair was short up top but long in  
the back. But its color as well as the color of his eyes were the same as Kayla's. "I'm Scott  
Fernand, leader of the Nuke Team."  
  
"Stephen Torros of the Blitz Team. Your sister was just demonstrating her expert knowledge of  
Zoid battling."  
  
"Don't tell me, she told you that she was a Zoid pilot since she was 8?"  
  
"How'd you know?" That was Bit.  
  
"That's what she tells all the new teams. Truthfully, she's 14 and been a pilot for the past   
three months."  
  
"That makes more sense," Brad said casting Kayla a side glance. Kayla looked like a kid who  
had just been set to the principal's office.  
  
"Kayla exaggerates sometimes," Scott replied. "She's the type who likes attention.  
  
"Hey, that's kind of like Leena," Jamie commented.  
  
"Hey!" Leena smacked him in the back of the head that brought a laughter from Kayla.  
  
It was then that the young woman, Talia, walked up to them. "Dr. Torros, your team has been  
approved. Your first battle will be the day after tomorrow. That shall give you time to prepare  
your Zoids. The battle mode will be 0982, your opponent will be the Flash Team."  
  
"Well thank you, ma'am, we'll be there. What do you say, Blitz Team?" The others cheered and  
raised their fists.  
  
"You guys should realize something," Scott said. "The fights here are much more intense than  
what you've went through while in the Class A Zoid League. Speaking from personal experience,  
the opponents here are very serious about winning their battles."  
  
"Believe me, Scott," Bit said standing. "After some of the opponents we've faced, we're ready  
for almost anything."  
  
"Bit's right, Scott," Jamie agreed. "Especially since Bit's Liger is an ul..."  
  
Doc. Torros clamped a hand over Jamie's mouth. "Jamie, exnay on the igerLay," he muttered  
through closed teeth. Fortunately, it was lost on Scott and Kayla.  
  
  
That night, Bit sat up in the Hovercargo with Liger Zero.  
  
"Well, Liger, tomorrow's our first battle," Bit said. The Liger nodded its head. "You know,  
it's funny. But even after all that we've been through, I still feel that our adventure is just  
beginning." The Liger let out a low roar. "You're right, Liger. We may not know what's going  
to happen, but we're going to face it as a team."  
  
Bit: All right, our first battle! Hey, who's this Nicholas guy? Why is he considering himself  
my rival? He's not even a match. Next time on Zoids: The Wannabe Rival: The Blitz Team's first  
Class-S battle. Ready.... FIGHT!" 


	4. The Wannabe Rival: The Blitz Team's Firs...

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 2: The Wannabe Rival: The Blitz Team's First Class-S Battle  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks goes to Naomi Hunter for informing me about Brad and Jamie's last names.  
I'll use those even if they aren't the real names.  
  
One other thing, if anybody knows the battle mode number of a one-on-one Zoid battle, please  
tell me. I know there is one because the Liger Zero battled the Elephander in a one-on-one.  
  
  
The Blitz Team sat around the planning room of their base. Profiles of each of their Zoids  
appeared on the main view screen. As usual, Doc. Torros was as giddy as a school boy.  
  
"Using some of the prize money we got from winning the Royal Cup, I've managed to upgrade your  
Zoids with all-new abilities," he began.  
  
"Upgrade?" Bit Cloud asked.  
  
"Translation, he saw something cool and decided to buy it regardless of whether or not it's  
compatable with the Zoids," Leena Torros said.  
  
"Hey, I really think that we needed some upgrades since the teams we're going up won't be like  
battling the Champ Team or the Fuzzy... I mean the Zaber Fangs Team."  
  
"All right," Brad Hunter said propping his feet on the control panel. "Let's see what the  
dammage is."  
  
Doc. Torros scowled but pulled up an image of the Liger Zero. "Bit, the Liger Zero can now  
perform a Double Strike Laser Claw attack."  
  
"A Double Strike Laser Claw?"  
  
"Yup. Usually, the Liger could only strike with one set of claws, now he can use both by pushing  
off from his opponent."  
  
"Sounds cool, Doc, can't wait to try it."  
  
Doc. Torros next pulled up a picture of the Gun Sniper. To be specific, the Gun Sniper's mouth  
was open and its tail was straight.  
  
"You know, in that position, the Gun Sniper kind of looks like the Beserk Fury," Bit said tilting  
his head.  
  
"Leena, the Gun Sniper has been given a fusion impact cannon inside its mouth."  
  
"Aren't those dangerous?" Leena asked.  
  
"Maybe for a Zoid like a Shield Liger or a Lightning Saix, but not for a Gun Sniper. Just keep  
its tail straight when you do."  
  
"Doc, you better have not altered the Shadow Fox in any way like fitting a big gun on it like  
last time."  
  
"Truthfully, Brad, I installed a cloaking shield in it. The only problem is you can't fire any  
of your weapons, not even the Strike Laser Claw." Brad's brow narrowed but he apparently  
accepted it.  
  
"Our opponents are the Flash Team," Jamie Hemeros, the Blitz Team's tatical commander, explained.  
"Their leader is someone named Nicholas Atomson."  
  
"I've heard of him before," Brad spoke up.  
  
"What's he like?" Bit asked.  
  
"Let's just say that compared to him, Harry's a competent tolerable Zoid Pilot." Everybody   
cringed at the thought that there was someone worse than Harry.  
  
"Nicholas will be piloting this Zoid." An image of a dinosaur-type Zoid appeared. It looked   
like a stripped down Spinno Sappa (and Bit pointed that out). It walked on two thin legs but   
the main body was long more than it was high. It's tail was almost as long as its body and had   
a single fin blade on it. The head region was flat and rectangular shape. And there was   
a laser cannon on the back. "It's called a Hellrunner."  
  
"It doesn't look so tough," Bit commented.  
  
"Be careful, Bit," Jamie cautioned. "Don't forget, all these people are in Class-S for a reason.  
They're all the best."  
  
"Do we know who the other members of his team are?" Leena asked.  
  
"Only what kind of Zoids they will be using. One will be using a Lightning Saix, the other will  
be using a Raptor."  
  
"We've handled Lightning Saix before," Bit said. "Plus there's only going to be one of them,  
not three like the Lightning Team."  
  
"And a Raptor will be no sweat for the Gun Sniper," Leena added.  
  
"Right," Doc. Torros said. "But just the same, they are not to be underestimated. So here's  
the plan. Brad will trap the Lightning Saix in his electro net. That'll enabel him to get in  
close with his Strike Laser Claw. Leena, I want you to take care of the Hellrunner?"  
  
"Why?" Leena asked. "Wouldn't the Liger Zero be the obvious choice?"  
  
"Yes, which is why I want the Gun Sniper to handle it," Jamie took over. "No doubt Gary will be  
expecting a battle with the Liger Zero and prepared his defenses accordingly. So if we surprise  
him with the Gun Sniper..."  
  
"He won't be able to put up an adequate defense," Leena finished. "Brilliant, Jamie!"  
  
Jamie scratched the back of his head. "It's nothing really. I would appreciate it if you guys  
would try to follow the plan."  
  
"No problem," Brad said. "By the way, just how much prize money are we getting from this?"  
  
"Trust Brad to ask about money," Bit cracked.  
  
"We're getting about five times the amount that we were given while in Class-A," Doc. Torros  
replied. "And here's the thing, the looser is suppose to pay the money to the winner."  
  
"Ouch," Brad said. "Good thing we still have some of that prize money left over from The Royal  
Cup."  
  
Doc. Torros didn't have the heart to tell them that they wouldn't have enough money to fork over  
if they loose.  
  
Instead, he said, "I also have a gift for you all." He passed around the Zoid Gear, but this was  
different. It was blue with silver highlights on the screen.  
  
"Zoid Gear? What would we need these for?" Leena inquired.  
  
"These are your new S-Zoid Gear," Doc. Torros revealed. "Just insert your registration number  
into them. They will be used for all Class-S Zoid Battles."  
  
"Wow," Bit said. "You sure get lots of cool stuff while in Class-S."  
  
"Get some sleep team," Doc. Torros said before he left the room. "Tomorrow's going to be a big  
day."  
  
  
That night, a lone figure stood up on a clifftop staring at the two moons. There was only one  
thing on this person's mind.  
  
"Bit Cloud," the voice said. "Soon, you will be mine."  
  
  
The next day, the Hovercargo pulled up to the battlefield, a flat area surrounded by high cliffs.  
  
"Prepare to mobilize!" Doc. Torros called from the cockpit. The hatch opened up and the   
catapult ramp came out.  
  
"Brad here, ready to mobilize the Shadow Fox." A few weeks after they won the Royal Cup, Brad  
took the Shadow Fox into town and got it customized. Now the cockpit matched the rest of the  
Zoid. Illumination lights shone on the screen. The seat was midnight blue and plush. The  
Shadow Fox put its paws on the catapult and was launched onto the battlefield.  
  
"Leena here, ready to mobilize the Gun Sniper." Leena was acting like this was any normal Zoid  
battle. But she was just as excited and nervous as the rest. The Gun Sniper no longer used  
the lower hatch, where the D-Bison used to be. Doc. Torros converted that into a cargo bay for  
damaged Zoids. The Gun Sniper used the same catapult launching system as the Liger and Shadow  
Fox.  
  
"Doc," Bit called. "Activate the Jager armor. If I'm going to go up against a Lightning Saix,  
I'm going to need some extra speed."  
  
"You got it, Bit. Activating Liger Zero-Jager." Bit pulled back on the control levers. The  
claws began removing the original white Liger armor and replacing it with the blue Jager armor.  
  
{I wonder if she's here,} Bit thought. {I know she said she always wanted to live in Hugoth City  
and that was Hugoth City we were in yesterday. I...}  
  
"Liger Zero-Jager CAS completed," Jamie announced. There was a locking sound as the platform   
the Liger was on connected with the catapult. {Here we go.}  
  
"GOOOOOOOO, JAGER!" Bit cried as the Zero-Jager was thrown onto the ground next to the Gun  
Sniper.  
  
"So where are our opponents?" Bit asked. No sooner that he asked that question then a strange  
Zoid pulled up. It was about twice the length of the Hovercargo and covered in green armor.  
It looked like an alligator with three Zoids on top.  
  
"It's a Reptire," Jamie gasped.  
  
"Reptire?" Bit asked.  
  
"A transport Zoid similar to the Whale King," Jamie explained. "It's armor is so strong that it  
can carry several Zoids at once."  
  
"Wow," Doc. Torros said staring at the Reptire in awe. "I never seen a Reptire up close. It's  
the most coolest Zoid I have ever seen!" Jamie sighed in defeat.  
  
The three Zoids on top were a Hellrunner, Lightning Saix, and Raptor. They each leaped from  
the Reptire and onto the ground.  
  
Bit's comment reflected the thoughts of the entire team. "Here we go."  
  
High above, in orbit, the Judge Satellite hovered. While there is no way to communicate sound  
through space, this is what would've been heard if that was possible.  
  
"Battle approved! Locking in coordinates! Class-S battle! Launching Judge Capsule!" The  
lower hatch opened and a capsule was dropped from it. Red flames gathered around it as it  
entered the atmosphere. It touched down on the cliff. The capsule rose from the crater it  
made and the Judge revealed itself.  
  
"The area within a one mile radius is a designated Zoid Battlefield," the Judge announced as a  
warning siren blared. "Only competitors and personnell are authorized, all others must leave   
the area immediately! Danger, danger!"  
  
"Insert your S-Zoid Gear now," Doc. Torros instructed.  
  
"Right," Bit, Leena, and Brad said at the same time. They each input their registration numbers  
into the S-Zoid Gear and inserted the entire Gear into their respective Zoid's computer system."  
  
"Battlefield set up! The Blitz Team versus The Flash Team! Battle Mode S-0982. Ready...  
FIGHT!" The Judge crossed its arms signalling the beginning of the match.  
  
"Do it, guys, just like we planned!" Jamie said. Bit and Leena criss-crossed to their  
adversaries. Suddenly the Hellrunner veered off and headed straight for Zero-Jager.  
  
"Bit, watch out!" Leena cried. "The Hellrunner is heading right towards you!" Bit activated  
the Jager's ion boosters just in time to avoid the slash of the Hellrunner's jaw.  
  
"What the heck?..." Bit asked noone in particular.  
  
A voice with an almost sinister laugh to it filled the communication system. "Greetings, Bit  
Cloud."  
  
"Hey, who is this? Who are you?"  
  
"I am Nicholas Atomson, leader of the Flash Team. And your rival."  
  
"My what?!" The Hellrunner chomped at Zero-Jager again. Jager roared and sliced at the  
Hellrunner with its claw. The Hellrunner pulled back and came at him again. Bit jumped over  
the Hellrunner.  
  
Bit took off to get some room between him and Nicholas. The Hellrunner was about to chase  
after the Jager when the Gun Sniper got in the way.  
  
"Hold it, buddy boy, forgot about me."  
  
"You weakling, you're not worth my time."  
  
"He shouldn't have said that," Bit said.  
  
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S A WEAKLING!" Leena shouted. "WILD WEASEL TOTAL ASSAULT!" Leena fired all   
of her weapons at the Hellrunner. The Hellrunner leaped over the barrage of missiles. It tried   
to come at the Gun Sniper from above. Leena fired her gataling rifles and pushed the Hellrunner  
back. The Hellrunner did a backflip and landed on its feet.  
  
"Like I said, you're not worth my time. The only one I want is Bit Cloud."  
  
"What?..." But before Leena could say anything else, the Hellrunner leaped over the Gun Sniper.  
  
"Bit, be careful, the Hellrunner has it in for you," Jamie said. "Try to stick with the   
strategy, people."  
  
"Easy for him to say," Bit murmured as he fired the Jager's weapons at the Raptor.  
  
Meanwhile, the Shadow Fox and the Lightning Saix faced off.  
  
{The pilot knows what he's doing,} Brad thought. {He's waiting for me to make a move so he can  
form an adequate defense. Well, far be it for me to disappoint him.}  
  
"Brad," Doc. Torros' voice came over the communication system. "Use the invisibility shield."  
  
Brad activated the smoke screen then the invisibility shield. When the smoke cleared, the Shadow  
Fox was nowhere to be seen. The Lightning Saix looked around. Eventually, it turned its back.   
Brad deactivated the invisibility shield and fired his electro net. The Lightning Saix pilot   
saw it and quickly dodged to the right, right in the sight of the Shadow Fox's vulcan cannons.  
But the Lightning Saix's armor withstood the blast.  
  
"Strike Laser Claw!" Brad commanded. The Shadow Fox chopped off the gun on the Lightning Saix's  
back.  
  
"I guess this guy isn't as skilled with a Lightning Saix as Jack is."  
  
Bit faced off with the Raptor. The two were exchanging physical attacks. Suddenly the  
Hellrunner tackled him from behind. Jager went down. It turned and slashed at the Hellrunner.  
The enemy Zoid staggered back and fired its laser cannon which Jager dodged. The Hellrunner  
jumped on top of the Jager and pinned it, each robot roaring.  
  
"Say it, Clown."  
  
"Say what?"  
  
"Say that I'm your rival."  
  
"Look, pal, you can't just declare yourself my rival, you have to prove you're a match for me  
which you're not."  
  
"If you want to win, say that I'm your rival. Otherwise I might as well deliver the final blow  
right now."  
  
Bit sighed, then noticed something. Leena was standing in his blind spot. The tail was  
straight and the mouth was open.  
  
"Bit, get out of there in five seconds," Leena said. It was over a channel that was only for  
team members.  
  
"Say it, Bit Clown, say that I'm your rival."  
  
"Nicholas, you're..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"The most idiotic person I have ever met." Bit slammed the ion boosters on full power. The  
force propelled Jager out of the grasp of the Hellrunner.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Gotcha," Leena said as her impact fusion cannon fired. The blast struck the Hellrunner in the  
back, cutting off its laser cannon at the same time forcing it into the cliffface (opposite from  
where the Judge Capsule was).  
  
"You're free, Bit," Leena said. "Go after the Raptor."  
  
"Right. Let's go, Liger." The Liger Zero-Jager galloped towards the Raptor. The Raptor  
suddenly energized some shoulder blades and came at Jager. "Liger, let's use that new attack  
of Doc's." The Liger's roar seemed protestive. "Yeah, yeah, but come on, it's worth it."  
More roars. "Good." The claws on Jager's front paws energized and extended.  
  
"Double Strike Laser Claw!" Bit shouted. Jager brought both claws down on the Raptor cutting  
off the blades and hitting an area that disabeled it.  
  
A siren went off as the Judge announced, "The battle is over! The battle is over! The winner  
is... the Blitz Team!" The Judge raised it's right arm.  
  
"We did it! We did it! We did it!" Doc. Torros shouted in glee as he danced around the cockpit  
of the Hovercargo. "We won our first Class-S battle!"  
  
"Blitz Team," the Judge addressed. "Congratulations on your win. Monetary exchange will take  
place immediately. Until the next battle, farewell." The Judge Capsule closed and took off  
back to the Judge Satellite.  
  
"It's not fair, it's not fair!" Nicholas protested. The Hellrunner was actually jumping up and  
down in protest. "I wanted Bit Cloud to be my rival. Well the Judge may be gone, but I can  
still force you to admit yourself to be my rival!" The Hellrunner streamed towards the Jager.  
  
"Nicholas, stop," a voice commanded. The Lightning Saix stepped between the two. "The battle's  
over.   
  
"But..."  
  
"No buts. You want to challenge him again, ask the Commission for a rematch. But don't result  
to illegal actions just to satisfy your own whims."  
  
Bit froze. That voice, it couldn't be... how could it be her... here, now?  
  
The Lightning Saix looked at the Jager. "The money will be deposited into your account tonight.  
Good-bye." Was it Bit's imagination or did the Lightning Saix look like it was winking at him?  
The Lightning Saix and Raptor went back onto the Reptire.  
  
"This isn't over, Bit Cloud, I will get you to declare me your rival yet." The Hellrunner  
hopped onto the Reptile just as it started up.  
  
"That's one weird guy," Leena mused.  
  
"To say the least," agreed Brad.  
  
Bit just stared at the departing transport. The voice... the pilot of the Lightning Saix...  
it had to be her, it couldn't have been anyone else.  
  
"Bit, you coming?" Leena asked.  
  
"Uh... yeah," Bit replied taking one last look before heading back to the Hovercargo.  
  
  
That night, Bit was up in the cargo bay working (and talking) to the Liger Zero. Doc. Torros  
came in.  
  
"Well the money's already in our account," he said.  
  
"How much did we get?" Bit asked.  
  
"Let's just say your debts might be paid off sooner than you think."  
  
"That much, huh? Oh, Doc, one thing."  
  
"Yeah, what is it?"  
  
Bit put down the tool he was using on Liger's nose. "Liger's upset because you all but took him  
apart to install that Double Strike Laser Claw yesterday. You violated his privacy so to speak."  
  
"Well he should've let me know."  
  
"He did. Why do you think he kept squirting oil at you."  
  
"That was intentional? I just thought he had a loose filter." Liger tipped his head and the  
tool that Bit put down dropped right onto Torros' head.  
  
Needless to say, Bit and Liger had a good laugh at the Doc's expense.  
  
  
Brad: So get this, a woman from the Zoid Battle Commission shows up and says I'm an illegally-  
registered Zoid pilot. The only way for me to stay in Class-S is for me to battle her in a  
one-on-one Zoid battle. I can beat her, right? Next time on Zoids: "Brad's Battle: The Shadow   
Fox's Ultimate Potential." Ready... FIGHT! 


	5. Brad's Battle: The Shadow Fox's Ultimate...

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 3: Brad's Battle: The Shadow Fox's Ultimate Potential  
  
  
Vanguard City was home to department of the Zoid Battle Commission that dealt with the Class-S.  
Most of the buildings were some division of the Class-S. One building was home to the  
Investigative Bureau. This department dealt with looking over the profiles of all in-coming  
Class-S teams to make sure they were worthy to be there. Today, one of their operatives was in  
for a surprise.  
  
"I don't believe it," he said. "Why did they let those freaks into Class-S. I find it hard to  
believe they won the Royal Cup. There must be..." He smiled as he came upon one of the  
profiles. He activated his vid phone.  
  
"Zoid Battle Commission Headquarters," came the voice on the other end.  
  
"Ashley, it's me. I have another pathetic looser for you to pick on. His name? Well..."  
  
  
"Brad, watch it," Jamie called from the Hovercargo's control room. "That Demon Lizard has you  
in his sights."  
  
"I see it, Jamie," Brad called as he fired his electro net. The net enclosed the Demon Lizard's  
tail.  
  
"Hey, I can't shake it!" The Lizard's pilot cried. Brad took advantage and fired his vulcan  
gataling gun. The blasts were dead on and the Demon Lizard was disabeled.  
  
At around the same time, Leena took down a Spinno Sappa Zoid with her Total Assault.  
  
"That takes care of all his reinforcements," Jamie said. "Bit, hurry up and finish off the  
Cruncher."  
  
"Right, Jamie." The Cruncher was a large green colored Zoid about twice the size of the Liger  
Zero. It had a double-barrel cannon mounted on its rear.  
  
"Remember, aim for the region just below its head," Jamie instructed. "That it's weak spot."  
  
"Roger." The Liger Zero-Schneider extended it's five blades and began rushing towards the  
Cruncher. The Cruncher rose to its hind legs and its weak spot was revealed. "BUSTER SLASH!"  
Zero-Schneider stabbed the Cruncher and it fell onto its side.  
  
"The battle is over!" The Judge announced. "The winner is... the Blitz Team!"  
  
"Yeah, another great battle," Bit congratulated.  
  
"Either we're too good for our own good, or the ZBC is sticking us with these low-lifes on  
purpose," Leena commented as the Hovercargo's rear hatch opened.  
  
"Hey, a battle, is a battle," Brad said. "As long as we get paid."  
  
"Spoken like a true mercenary," Bit replied. The Zoids were loaded up with the Zero-Schneider  
being last so that the CAS can remove the Schneider armor and replace it with the original  
Liger armor.  
  
"Hey guys," Jamie called through the comm. system. "We're going to stop by Vanguard City on our  
way, just to finish up some paperwork."  
  
Bit froze for a second. "Vanguard... City?"  
  
"That's right, Bit. Why, is there some place you have to be?"  
  
"Uh... no, no, that's all right." Leena couldn't help but notice that Bit's normally confident  
voice waver. Did Bit have some unsurances about going to Vanguard City?  
  
The after-battle paperwork took longer than expected (as it usually does). The Blitz Team ended  
up having dinner in the city.  
  
When they got back, they discovered there was somebody waiting for them. A Gustave was parked  
outside in front.  
  
The Blitz Team left the Hovercargo and went up to the Gustave. A woman was leaning by it.  
She was small and lean with extremely short blue-black hair and dark eyes.  
  
"Are you the Blitz Team?" She asked.  
  
"We are, and yourself?" Doc. Torros replied.  
  
"Ashley Coller of the Zoid Battle Commission. Which one of you is Brad Hunter?"  
  
"I am," Brad stepped forward.  
  
"Mr. Hunter, I would like to speak with you privately if possible."  
  
"Of course, follow me."  
  
"Bet you anything they're going to his room," Leena whispered to Bit and Jamie. They both gave  
her an annoyed look.  
  
"I hope everything's all right," Jamie said.  
  
"I'm sure everything's fine," Doc. Torros assured him.  
  
  
"You've got to be kidding me!" Brad shouted.  
  
"Believe me, Mr. Hunter, I didn't believe it myself until I checked the regulation book. It's  
true."  
  
"You can't just throw me out like that! It's discriminating."  
  
"Class-S is meant to be a very specific league, Mr. Hunter. We can't just take any riff-raff in  
simply because they won one tournament."  
  
"You can bet I'm not going to take this lying down."  
  
"Brad, what's going on?" Bit asked as the others came running into the tactics room. "We heard  
yelling."  
  
"This lady says that I'm an illegal Zoid pilot."  
  
"Not exactly, Mr. Hunter," Ashley said. "You see, Doctor Torros, our records have Mr. Hunter  
down as a Zoid mercenary."  
  
"And your point is...?" Doc. Torros said.  
  
"Zoid mercenaries are not allowed in Class-S teams."  
  
"But why?" Leena said. Such an idea was outrageous in her mind.  
  
"Mercenaries have no idea of the true spirit of the Class-S. They're nothing but a bunch of  
money-grubbers."  
  
"Hey, I'll have you know that Brad put himself on the line hundreds of times without thinking of  
reward," Leena argued. Ashley wasn't convinced.  
  
Brad himself took over. "Look, I've come too far to fall all the way to the bottom based on a  
technicality! I'm going to fight this in any way I can!"  
  
Ashley cocked her head at Brad. There was something in his eyes that told her that he won't be  
dragged down, not without bringing half the planet down with him. Yeah, that's what she would do  
too. That was probably his one redeeming virtue, his determination.  
  
"So you're determined to stay in Class-S?"  
  
"That's right, even if I have to fight you."  
  
"All right, then let's do it."  
  
The entire Blitz Team put on confused faces.  
  
"Mr. Hunter, I challenge you to a Zoid battle. A normal one, not in Class-S. However, the prize  
is something different from money. If you win, you can stay in Class-S. But if I win, you go  
back all the way to Class-C."  
  
"That's not fair," Brad protested.  
  
"Hey, if you're as good a warrior as everyone says you are, then you won't have a problem getting  
back up to Class-A."  
  
Brad grimaced. It didn't seem like he was going to have any other choice. "All right, I'll  
accept your challenge."  
  
Ashley smirked. "Don't worry, Mr. Hunter, warriors move down ranks all the time. You'll just be  
one of them."  
  
Brad scowled.  
  
  
Ashley had left. Brad had spent the next four hours checking out the Shadow Fox's systems.  
While he was getting up for a midnight snack, Bit came upon him.  
  
"You seem nervous," Bit observed without greeting.  
  
"I'm not nervous."  
  
"I thought I saw you go over the same system check five hours ago."  
  
Brad sighed and jumped down from the Shadow Fox.  
  
"I originally joined the Blitz Team so I could get some prize money. Needless to say, that   
didn't come at first."  
  
"So when did you guys start winning?" Bit asked.  
  
"Believe it or not, it was during the battle with the Tigers Team, where you appeared on the  
scene with the Liger Zero."  
  
"I bet you were glad I came along so I could win you some cash."  
  
"I was just glad to get some cash period. Unlike you guys who battle for honor and pride and  
that other stuff, I'm just looking to make a quick buck. I never really considered fighting for  
something other than the prize money."  
  
"So that's why you didn't help me and Jamie battle the Backdraft Group so long ago."  
  
"That's right, it was only after the Doc contacted me and offered your share of the prize money  
that I decided to help."  
  
Bit let out a grunt of disapproval. "I'm still pissed about that."  
  
"Anyway, I never fought for anything other than money or survival before. That's why I'm not as  
wound up about battling like you or Leena."  
  
"You don't trust your abilities with the Shadow Fox, do you?"  
  
"Don't get me wrong, the Shadow Fox is a great Zoid. It's probably Dr. Layon's only good point.  
But I don't think I'll be able to handle whatever Zoid Ashley is using. Maybe if the Shadow Fox  
was an Ultimate X like the Liger."  
  
The two sat down by the Shadow Fox's right front leg. "Come on, Brad, many Zoid battles have  
been won with Zoids that are not Ultimate X. Leena wasn't piloting an Ultimate X when the  
Backdraft Group kidnapped Harry or when Jamie used the Raynos to take on the Sabbats."  
  
"That's true," Brad agreed. "But I think I would have a lot better chance if I was piloting the  
Liger Zero."  
  
"Brad, you know that the Liger won't let anyone pilot it except me. It's stubborn that way."  
Brad nodded.  
  
Bit asked a question. "Brad, do you think that the only reason Liger Zero's won so many battles  
is because it's an Ultimate X?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well that was a factor, but it's not the real reason. I told Jack Sisqo once that the reason  
Liger and I are so good is because we act as a team, two working for the same goal. We acted as  
one. Perhaps that's all you need to do to unlock the Shadow Fox's ultimate potential."  
  
"I thought I was acting as one with the Shadow Fox."  
  
"You were controlling the Shadow Fox, you need to let the Shadow Fox do the same as you do. You  
get the picture?" But Brad had fallen asleep. Bit chuckled and shook his head and left to go  
to bed himself."  
  
  
The next day, the Hovercargo parked at an abandoned valley. It wasn't far from the city ruins  
where they first battled the Champ Team. Brad was already in the Shadow Fox. The others were  
in the cockpit.   
  
"Are you ready, Brad?" Doc. Torros asked.  
  
"As I'll ever be," Brad replied.  
  
"All right. Launching Shadow Fox!" The catapult opened up and the Shadow Fox was shot onto the  
battlefield.  
  
"Do we know what Zoid Ashley will be using?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Not really," Doc. Torros replied. "I assume it's her Gustave. That was the one she arrived  
in yesterday." Sure enough, a Gustave came into view, but it was towing something. It  
looked like an Iron Kong, but it was different from ones Brad has seen before. This one was  
black with green highlights. It had two gataling guns on each shoulder (like the one Harry Champ  
used on his Dark Horn) and a missile on its back. The Zoid leaped from the trailer it was on  
and landed on the ground across from the Shadow Fox.  
  
"Is that an Iron Kong?" Bit asked.  
  
"Doesn't look like any Iron Kong I've ever seen," Jamie replied.  
  
"Well, Mr. Hunter, ready to loose?" Ashley asked.  
  
"What kind of Zoid is that? Is it registered?" Brad questioned.  
  
"I'm a member of the Zoid Battle Commission, I can get whatever Zoid I want registered. This  
started out as an Iron Kong, but I modified it into a new Zoid. Mr. Hunter, meet the Konger."  
  
"The Konger?" Brad repeated. Before anybody could let out another word, the Judge Capsule  
touched down and opened up.  
  
"Battlefield set up," the Judge announced. "The Shadow Fox versus the Konger. Battle mode  
0992. Ready... Fight!"  
  
"I've read all about your Shadow Fox's abilities," Ashley said as the two circled each other.  
"So I accomadated my Zoid to counteract."  
  
"We'll see about that." Brad fired his Vulcan gun. The Konger dodged and fired it's shoulder-  
mounted gataling rifles. The hail of bullets forced the Shadow Fox back a few Zoid-size paces.  
  
"Brad's certainly off to a good start," Leena replied dryly.  
  
"Take it easy, Leena, the battle's just begun," Bit said.  
  
Outside, the Shadow Fox tried to circle around to the side of the Konger.  
  
"Strike Laser Claw!" Brad commanded.  
  
"I was hoping you would try something like that," Ashley commented. All along the fist of the  
Konger, little gray metal spikes popped up. "Strike Iron Knuckle!" With a roar, the Konger  
backhanded the Shadow Fox. It landed on its side but staggered to its feet.  
  
"This is insane," Brad complained. "She knows all about me but I know nothing about her."  
  
"Well, I'm 21, about 130 lbs," Ashley began jokingly. The two Zoids exchanged gun fire. Brad   
moved the Shadow Fox in for a full-out assault. The Konger grabbed the Shadow Fox and threw it   
away. The Shadow Fox landed on its feet and attacked again. "Strike Iron Knuckle!" The Konger   
punched Brad's Zoid.  
  
"The Shadow Fox's power is down to 75%!" Jamie reported.  
  
"Brad, get it together!" Bit called. "Try using strategy or something!"  
  
"Like you're one to talk," Leena muttered.  
  
"Huh? What? Hey, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
Meanwhile, the Konger continued its ruthless assault against the Shadow Fox.  
  
"Gotta stall for some time," Brad stuttered. He fired the smokescreen.  
  
"Sorry, Mr. Hunter, but I was prepared for this too. Activating thermal sensors. Bingo." The  
gataling cannons fired again. Brad was caught off guard. The Shadow Fox was thrown from the  
smokescreen.  
  
Brad grunted from the attack. He quickly activated his invisibility field.  
  
"Ooh, an invisibility field. Good, but not good enough." Ashley began programming commands into  
her computer.  
  
Jamie suddenly realized what she was doing. "Brad, deactivate your field now!"  
  
"Huh? Why?" Brad asked.  
  
"Gotcha. Strike Iron Knuckle!" The Konger seemed to punch thin air, but there was a crackle of  
electricity and the Shadow Fox was revealed.  
  
"Brad!" Leena cried.  
  
"Shadow Fox's power is down to 45%! I don't think Brad can take much more of this," Jamie said.  
  
"How did you know that Ashley spotted the Shadow Fox?" Bit asked.  
  
"I realized what commands she was using. I used the same commands to detect the Backdraft Group  
Gold Team's Hellcats when we first battled them."  
  
"That's right, I forgot, you sent me the data that enabeled me to trap them with the Liger Zero's  
Strike Laser Claw."  
  
"If you two are done going down memory lane, Brad's in trouble," Leena pointed out.  
  
"Doc, let me take Liger out and relieve Brad," Bit volunteered. "I'll fight in his place."  
  
"I'm sorry, Bit, but if you do, Brad will be disqualified, Ashley will win. I don't like this  
any more than you do, but we have to let Brad do this by himself. We can't help him."  
  
Outside, the Shadow Fox was beaten around like a rag doll. Brad's forehead felt funny. He felt  
it and realized it was bleeding.  
  
{This might be it,} he thought. {I'm going back down to Class-C. But what about the Shadow Fox?  
If Ashley continues in her assault, it could be damaged beyond repair.}  
  
The Konger ripped the vulcan gun from the Shadow Fox's back.  
  
{This is it, I'm done for. All because I couldn't get the Shadow Fox...}  
  
Brad then remembered what Bit said the previous night. ~ "The reason Liger and I are so good is   
because we act as a team, two working for the same goal. We acted as one. Perhaps that's all   
you need to do to unlock the Shadow Fox's ultimate potential." ~  
  
{Bit's right. Me and the Shadow Fox need to act like one. But how to do that.}  
  
"Play time's over, Mr. Hunter. Don't worry, going down in ranks aren't so bad. Nobody holds it  
against you."  
  
{All right, Shadow Fox, we may be going down, but I'm not going down like a dog. We're going to  
make one last attack on the Konger. We may lose, we may be reduced to Class-C, but we're going  
down like warriors. So let's give it everything we got!" Brad realized that he said that last  
part out loud. Suddenly text slid across the screen. 'SHADOW SLIDE.'  
  
"Shadow Slide? Well if you think that'll work, then go for it, Fox. We'll both do it."  
  
"Time to deliver the final blow," Ashley said. The Konger leaned forward and the missile that  
was strapped on its back targeted the Shadow Fox.  
  
"I know what that weapon is," Bit said stepping up front to the view screen. "It's a Buster  
Missile. Even if it doesn't hit him, the explosion will be enough to send Brad miles away. I  
once picked up a shell of one on my travels."  
  
Jamie quickly opened a comm. link to the judge. "Judge, you can't allow Ashley to use that  
Buster Missile, it'll destroy Brad!"  
  
"A Buster Missile is a registered Zoid weapon and has not been known to cause serious injury.  
Request is denied."  
  
"Brad!" Bit, Leena, Jamie, and Doc. Torros all cried out.  
  
"Buster Missile fire!" The missile launched towards the Shadow Fox. Nothing perturbed it. It  
struck the Shadow Fox. There was an explosion and smoke all around. The Blitz Team and Ashley  
covered their eyes. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained.  
  
"I... I don't believe it," Bit said holding onto the back of the chair. "He's gone, I can't  
believe he's gone."  
  
"I knew something like this would happen," Jamie said slamming his fist on the control panel.  
  
"This can't be happening, this can't be happening," Leena kept saying. Bit put a hand on her  
shoulder in comfort.  
  
Ashley was just as bewildered. "But... No... I didn't want to kill him... it couldn't have been  
that powerful... maybe... he lost too much... power. I'm... I'm sorry."  
  
Even the judge was taken aback. "The Shadow Fox is out of commission, the winner is..."  
  
"Don't count me out yet, Judge." Everybody turned towards the East. The Shadow Fox stood there  
in the setting sun.  
  
Bit said it. "BRAD'S ALIVE!"  
  
"H... How?" Ashley asked. "I saw you destroyed."  
  
"Not really. You saw the Shadow Fox's ultimate potential released in a move called the Shadow  
Slide. The Shadow Fox used the smoke screen to form an exact duplicate of itself then as soon  
as the missile struck, we moved left."  
  
"Uh-oh," Ashley said meekly.  
  
"That's right, now you'll see what happens when we act as one. Let's go, Shadow Fox!" With a  
howl, the Shadow Fox galloped forward.  
  
Still recoiling from Brad's dodge of her missile, Ashley blindly fired her gataling cannons.  
  
"Plow through," Brad instructed. The Shadow Fox was unwavering in its assault.  
  
"How about it, Fox, let's show her what this money-grubber can do."  
  
"Strike Iron Knuckle!"  
  
"Not this time," Brad said. "The Shadow Fox and I will win this battle."  
  
"Oh no."  
  
"STRIKE!" The Shadow Fox leaped over the Konger's fist and pushed off of it.  
  
"LASER!" The front paw began glowing.  
  
"CLAW!" The Shadow Fox grazed the side of the Konger. The Shadow Fox landed behind it. At  
first, it seemed like nothing happened, then an explosion erupted from the hip.  
  
"No, he got me!" Ashley cried just before the Konger fell.  
  
"The battle is over! The battle is over! The winner is... the Shadow Fox!"  
  
The Blitz Team erupted into cheers. Not only did Brad survive Ashley's most lethal assault, but  
he won the battle.  
  
  
Later on, after the Judge left, Brad exited the Shadow Fox. It looked a little warn, but overall  
pretty good. It was one tough Zoid.  
  
Brad turned and saw Ashley walking towards him. He got ready for a conflict. But instead, she  
smiled.  
  
"Well, Mr. Hunter, you won the battle. As per our agreement, you get to stay in Class-S."  
  
"Thanks," Brad replied. "I hope there's no hard feelings."  
  
"None, and just to prove that there are none, I'll let you choose any Class-S team you want.   
I'll even vouch for you if someone complains."  
  
"Thanks but that'll not be necessary," Brad replied as the other Blitz Team members approached  
them. "There's only one team I'd rather be a part of. The Blitz Team."  
  
"In that case. Brad Hunter, as a member of the Zoid Battle Commission, I am changing your status  
from mercenary to full-fledge Zoid Warrior for the Blitz Team. I'll take care of the paperwork."  
  
"Thanks again, Ashley."  
  
"There is one thing I would like in return though."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"A rematch."  
  
Brad smiled. "Any time."  
  
As Ashley brought around her Gustave to pick up the Konger, Bit stuck his head on Brad's  
shoulder. "Well, Brad, looks like you made a new friend." Brad lowered his eyes in annoyance.  
  
Leena stuck her head on Brad's other shoulder. "Wonder what Naomi would think."  
  
"..."  
  
POW!  
  
POW!  
  
Soon, Bit and Leena were sprawled on the floor with apple-size lumps on their heads.  
  
Brad looked up at the Shadow Fox and smiled. He finally understood what Bit meant. He unlocked  
the Shadow Fox's ultimate potential. However, something told him... told both of them, that this  
was only the beginning.  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
"I wanted you to throw him out of the Class-S, not make him a permanent part. He's a mercenary  
He doesn't belong!"  
  
"Not any more. The ZBC agreed to change his status from mercenary to full Zoid warrior."  
  
"Grrrrrrr........" He slammed down the phone. He would get the Blitz Team out of Class-S yet.  
  
  
Leena: Oh great, Mary Champ is back, and now she's leader of her own Class-S team. Even worse,  
she set her eyes on the Liger Zero. Even worse, Bit's starting to take interest in her... what,  
he's not?! Man, that kid couldn't recognize a beautiful woman if one came up and kicked him in  
the butt... say, that's not a bad idea. Next time on Zoids: "The Princess becomes a Queen:  
Mary Champ's Return." Ready... FIGHT! 


	6. The Princess Becomes a Queen: Mary Champ...

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 4: The Princess becomes a Queen: Mary Champ's Return  
  
A green humvee pulled up to the gates of Vanguard City. The occupants inside were Bit Cloud,  
Leena Toros, and Jamie Hemeros of the Blitz Team. Although he was driving, Leena could tell   
that Bit wasn't all that enthusiastic about coming here.  
  
"What's up with you, Bit?" Leena asked, then snuggled up to him. "Did you lose your teddy   
bear?"  
  
"Knock it off," Bit shrugged her off and left the humvee.  
  
"Well someone's in a grouchy mood?" Leena scowled.  
  
"Leena's right, Bit, what's going on? You were the one who suggested we go out to lunch."  
  
"I did, I just didn't want to do it here."  
  
"Well what's the point in receiving credit from Zoid battles if we're not going to use them?"  
Jamie countered.  
  
"You've been in a grouchy mood ever since we entered Class-S," Leena accused. "If something's  
wrong, tell us."  
  
"Nothing's wrong," Bit said. "Let's just find a place to eat."  
  
Leena was about to go after him when Jamie stopped her. "Let him go, Leena, if he wants to tell  
us, he will."  
  
The three found a restaurant and entered. As the waitress was taking Bit's order, a voice  
cried out, "AH-HA! I KNEW IT WAS YOU!" Everybody (including the waitress) looked up to see a  
boy run up to them. He had long scraggly black hair that hid his brown eyes. He was dressed in  
a Zoid-pilot jumpsuit. "Bit Cloud, so we meet face-to-face at last!"  
  
"Do... I know you?" Bit asked.  
  
The pilot gave him the evil eye. "Surely you recognize the voice of your most fierce rival."  
  
"Fierce rival?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Why'd you call him Shirley?" Leena asked.  
  
Bit suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, you're that psychopathic leader of the Flash Team."  
Some of the other patrons chuckled at that comment.  
  
"GRRRRRRRRRRR! I've been waiting for a rematch with you, Bit Cloud. Another chance to prove   
that I am the only warrior you must contend with and nobody else."  
  
Bit looked at Leena and Jamie. Jamie shrugged and Leena rolled her eyes. "Uh... yeah...  
Nicholas was your name, right?"  
  
"That's right, I am Nicholas Atomson, leader of the Flash Team and your rival!"  
  
"And... basically you want me all to yourself? Sorry, Nick, but I don't go into that   
battlemode." Again laughter from the other patrons. Nicholas looked like he was going to   
explode 200 times over.  
  
"Nick, there you are." Another guy came up. "Come on, we're leaving."  
  
"No! I am not going until Bit Cloud apologizes for his insult and admits that I am his once and  
only arch nemesis!"  
  
"Bit, do you have any arch nemeses?" Jamie asked.  
  
"None that I know of," Bit replied. Nicholas screamed loud enough for everyone to hear him.  
His friend got him in a full nelson and with an apology to Bit, Jamie, and Leena, left.  
  
"I thought it was you guys," a new voice perked up. A young woman stepped forward. She was  
dressed in a white sunday dress. Her blonde hair hung below her shoulders, her voice has a hint  
of an accent in it. "Fancy seeing you all here again."  
  
"Mary Champ?" The three Blitz Team members said.  
  
"Glad you remember me, it's been such a long time. So tell me, how's my little snowflake?" She  
directed the question at Bit.  
  
"I'm... uh... fine," Bit stuttered.  
  
Mary laughed and traced a pattern down Bit's shirt. "Silly man, I was talking about your Zoid,   
the Liger Zero."  
  
Jamie had a confused face until he remembered something. {That's right, the reason Mary battled  
us along with her brother Harry was so she could get the Liger Zero. She was so awestruck by  
it that she was willing to pay any price for it, not that it would matter to her, the Champs  
definitely have enough money to throw around.}  
  
"Uh... the Liger Zero's fine," Bit said not knowing what else to say.  
  
"Wait a minute, how did you get in here? Only Class-S teams are allowed in Vanguard City,"  
Leena said. Mary turned towards her and scowled.  
  
"I remember you now, your that tramp girlfriend of Harry's."  
  
"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A TRAMP, AT LEAST I DON'T USE UP MONEY LIKE TOILET PAPER!" Leena was ready  
to turn Mary's head completely around but Bit stopped her.  
  
"Leena, do you want me to take you out the same way that other kid took out Nicholas?" Leena  
grumbled a negative and sat back down.  
  
Jamie decided to take up the conversation. "So why are you here, Mary? I thought you went home  
after our battle."  
  
Mary took an empty chair. "Don't you know?" She asked. "I'm part of the Class-S too."  
  
"WHAT?!" Bit, Leena, and Jamie all stereoed. Leena added, "You can't be serious."  
  
Mary nodded. "It's true."  
  
"How did she do that?" Bit whispered to Leena.  
  
"She probably brought her way in," Leena whispered back.  
  
"So you're still interested in purchasing the Liger Zero?" Bit spoke to Mary.  
  
Mary put her hands together. "More than ever. At first I tried to buy my own Liger Zero, but  
those Zoids are extremely rare as you well know. Then I thought of painting a Shield Liger white  
but it just wasn't the same. Let's face it, you just can't replicate pure beauty. Say, I have  
an idea, why don't we have a Zoid battle."  
  
Again, all three said out loud, "HUH?"  
  
"Yeah, an official Class-S Zoid battle. With the winner getting Liger Zero."  
  
"Hold on, you can't put my Liger Zero up like a trophy," Bit protested.  
  
"Yeah, and besides, as Brad would say, there's nothing in it for the rest of us," Leena said   
putting her legs up on the table in an almost perfect imitation of him.  
  
"All right, then, how about this, if you win, I'll pay you five times the normal prize money."  
  
"Five times." You could practically see dollar signs flashing in Leena's eyes.  
  
{Just like her father,} Jamie thought. "We'll have to talk it over with the rest of our team."  
  
"That's fine. In the mean time, I'll see you in battle." And Mary got up from her seat and   
departed.  
  
"We sure meet the weirdest people," Leena commented. The rest of lunch was uneventful. Jamie  
and Leena stopped by a store to pick up some groceries. As they were heading out, the Hovercargo  
stopped by.  
  
"Hop in, guys," came Doc. Torros' voice. "We have our next battle."  
  
"All right," Bit cried. "Let's head 'em up and move 'em out." In no time at all, Bit, Leena,  
and Brad Hunter, the final member of their team, were in their Zoids.  
  
"The battlemode is S-0993, tag team," Jamie explained. "Zoids take turns battling each other.  
Each time a Zoid tags a member of its own team, that member takes the place of the first Zoid  
and the team with three frozen Zoids loses."  
  
"This'll be a snap," Bit said. "Me and Liger are going to clean house. Of course you guys are  
going to help too."  
  
"Gee, thanks for including us in too," Brad said in his usual and normal sarcastic manner.  
  
{Wow,} Leena thought. {Bit's personality did a complete turn-around. Before, he was grumpy and  
depressed, but now he's his normal annoyingly cheerful self. Maybe it was... nah, it couldn't  
be Mary, she's trying to take Liger Zero away from him, Bit would soon as give his own life than  
let someone else take Liger Zero.} Leena then remembered back when they were first introduced to  
Mary. Bit commented how 'you don't see classy ladies like that any more.' Was Bit really  
developing a crush on Mary Champ? Leena shook her head, Bit is 110% ignorant when it comes to  
romance, he wouldn't know a girl with a crush from a hole in the head.  
  
Her pondering was interrupted as Leena catapulted out of the Hovercargo behind the Liger Zero.  
  
  
After they got home from the battle (which they won), the members of the Blitz Team put their  
feet up to relax. Suddenly a text message came up on the view screen.  
  
"It looks like someone's challenging us to a Zoid battle," Jamie said. It's... The Mary Team?"  
  
"Must be Mary Champ's team," Leena figured.  
  
"Mary Champ?" Brad asked. "You mean that prippy upstart sister of Harry Champ?"  
  
"Same one," Bit confirmed. "She approached us while we were eating lunch and said she wanted to  
challenge us to a Zoid battle."  
  
"I wonder how she got into Class-S," Doc. Torros thought out loud. "I guess she bought her way  
in."  
  
"Go for it, as long as we get prize money," Brad said.  
  
"She said she would give us five times the prize money if we won," Jamie explained.  
  
"Well now you got my interest. You should definitely go for it."  
  
"Hold on," Bit said. "You two might have nothing to lose but I lose my Liger if we lose the  
battle."  
  
"We won't lose," Leena assured him. "Not with you and Liger Zero."  
  
"So I guess we accept," Jamie concluded.  
  
Bit sighed. If he lost Liger Zero, he would lose his valuability as a Blitz Team member. He  
would be back to scrap metal dealing.  
  
  
The next day was the Zoid battle. The coordinates were in the same dirt field where the Blitz  
Team last battled Mary Champ. The Blitz Team's Zoids were already on the field and were  
waiting for Mary Champ.   
  
"Hey, who is Mary going to use as teammates?" Bit asked.  
  
"If she's anything like her brother, she'll probably use robots," Brad figured.  
  
"Maybe her Zoids will be automated," Leena guessed.  
  
"We're about to find out," Jamie interrupted.  
  
Mary Champ's D-Bison powered wagon pulled up. A hatch on the rear lowered. Mary came out in   
her Iron Kong. With her was a Red Horn and a Rev Raptor.  
  
"Mary, is that your team?" Leena asked.  
  
"Sure is. Say hello to Martha and Cindy."  
  
"Hi," the two said people said.  
  
"Oh God," Jamie moaned. "It's like Mary in stereo."  
  
"Battlefield set up," The Judge announced. They haven't even heard it touch down. "The Blitz  
Team vs. The Mary Team. Battlemode S-0982. Ready... FIGHT!" The Blitz Team sprinted towards  
their opponents. Mary's Iron Kong scrunched down to reveal the Red Horn with a giant missile  
strapped on its back. The missile fired and impacted, blowing the Blitz Team back.  
  
"Is everyone all right?" Bit asked.  
  
"I'm fine," Brad said.  
  
"Where did that come from?" Leena asked.  
  
"She did the same thing at the last battle, remember?" Jamie pointed out. "Looks like they're  
going to rely mostly on their weapons and not the Zoids themselves, so if we go in for close-  
range combat, they won't have a chance."  
  
"Let's go." The Blitz Team moved forward again. But the Red Horn had another missile waiting  
for them. "Man, at this rate, we won't get a chance to move in for close-range combat."  
  
Liger Zero fired its thrusters but the Rev Raptor jumped up and knocked it down. The shot  
cannon on its underside fired and knocked the Rev Raptor back.  
  
"I have an idea," Jamie said. "Bit, return to the Hovercargo and get ready to transform into  
Liger Zero-Schneider. Brad and Leena, distract them with cover fire."  
  
"My kind of plan," Leena said. "Wild Weasel Total Assault!"  
  
"Just keep on firing, Martha," Mary instructed. "I've been sure to buy plenty of missiles this  
time."  
  
Back in the Hovercargo, Bit got the Schneider armor ready. While the Liger Zero was changing,  
Bit opened a comm. link with Jamie. "Jamie, why did you ask me to transform into Liger Zero-  
Schneider? The Schneider doesn't have good defense capabilities. The Panzer would be better  
equipped."  
  
"Bit, I need you to go on the offensive," Jamie explained. "They seem to be relying on their  
missile barrage too much. If you can get through the missiles, they won't have time to put up  
any decent defense."  
  
"Right, and I know just how to do that. Zero-Schneider's Seven Blade Attack. It worked against  
Leon's Blade Liger. It'll plow through those missiles."  
  
"Liger Zero-Schneider, CAS complete!" Doc. Torros announced. "Prepare to mobilize."  
  
"All right, Liger, get ready for the Seven Blade Attack." The Liger roared an affirmative.  
  
Outside, Cindy noticed something. "Hey Mary, where did the Liger Zero disappear to?"  
  
"Oh my, my little snowflake must've gone to change its clothes."  
  
"Change its clothes?" Martha and Cindy repeated at the same time.  
  
The catapult opened and extended. "GOOOOOO, SCHNEIDER!" Bit shouted. Zero-Schneider almost  
flew towards its target.  
  
"Martha, fire the missiles!"  
  
"Right." The Red Horn launched another missile.  
  
"Oh no you don't. Now, Liger!" All of Liger's blades extended and pointed forward. The  
entire Zoid began glowing an orange color. "SEVEN BLADE ATTACK!" The Schneider itself was a  
missile counter-acting Mary's missile. It knocked the missile off course and made it explode  
prematurely. Zero-Schneider stabbed the Red Horn making it fall over.  
  
"Martha!" Cindy cried. She opened up her blades and leaped up only to be snared in the Shadow  
Fox's electro net.  
  
"Gotcha," Brad smirked.  
  
"Uh-oh," Mary said seeing she was all alone.  
  
Leena laughed in her usual maniacal fashion. She got into position to fire her fusion impact  
cannon. "This is for calling me a tramp. WEASEL UNIT SUPER ASSAULT!" The Super Assault was  
similar to her Total Assault attack with the exception of the fusion impact cannon firing as  
well. Mary took the blasts full force. The Iron Kong fell over.  
  
"The battle is over! The winner is... The Blitz Team!"  
  
"Well, Liger, looks like you remain mine for a little while longer," Bit said. The Liger  
relaxed, as if he was afraid he would become the property of Mary Champ and forced to wear a bow  
or something.   
  
Mary sighed depressed. "Oh well, another chance lost. Oh well, there's always next time."  
  
"I hope not," Bit muttered and Liger agreed with him. "Well, for now, let's go home."  
  
"Bye, my little snowflake!" Mary called as the Hovercargo loaded up all the Zoids.  
  
Epilogue.  
  
Leena stared at Bit in the Liger Zero. They were still in their Zoids in the Hovercargo.{Just   
when it seems that I figure out Bit Cloud, he confuses me even more. It seems like the only   
time he's happy is when he's battling with Liger Zero, kind of like me in the Gun Sniper. Yet   
when he's at Vanguard City, he acts so... morbid. But why? Wait a minute, during our first   
Class-S battle, he kept staring at Nuke Team. I know it has nothign to do with Nicholas Atomson,  
but who? What am I thinking, it's not as if I'm jealous or anything... well... maybe a little.   
Well whatever the reason, Bit Cloud and Vanguard City have some history together. But what   
exactly is that history. I have a feeling that this will come back to haunt us in the future.}  
  
  
Jamie (in his Wild Eagle persona): We find a Dark Judge that's been dormant for a long time.   
It's accidentally activate and sets us up in a battle against the Dark Siren team. They  
claim to be the most powerful group in the Backdraft Organization. They haven't seen the Wild  
Eagle in action. Next time on Zoids: "Revenge of the Dark Judge: Defeat of the Sirens."  
Ready... FIGHT! 


	7. Revenge of the Dark Judge: Defeat of the...

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 5: Revenge of the Dark Judge: Defeat of the Sirens  
  
  
The Blitz Team's Hovercargo transport unit cruised along the dirt roads leading back to their  
base. The team had just come back from battling Mary Champ's team.  
  
"Hey, good job on the battle today, guys," Jamie Hemeros said from the helm. Bit Cloud took a  
seat at the center control panel, the one normally used by Jamie when he was giving battle  
commands.  
  
"Hey, it was no sweat at all," Bit said.  
  
"I'm happy just as long as we get some prize money out of the deal," Brad Hunter commented.  
  
"Brad, I thought you weren't a mercenary any more," Leena Toros accused.  
  
"I'm not, but I still like to get paid."  
  
"So do we all," Bit agreed.  
  
"So I guess all we have to do is file the post-battle report in Vanguard City and head home for  
some chow," Brad guessed. Bit turned and drummed his fingers on the control panel.  
  
Leena was catching on to Bit's mood swings. She turned to Jamie. "Jamie, can't you take the  
jeep to do the battle paperwork? No reason for all of us to go."  
  
Jamie turned to her. "Well sure I could, but I don't see..." Luckily, Leena was saved from  
providing the others with an expression when a consol alarm went off. Jamie checked it.  
"There's a metallic object a mile west of here. From the size and shape of it, it looks like a  
Judge Capsule."  
  
"Is it our Judge from the battle with Mary's team?" Doc. Torros asked.  
  
"I don't think so, and according to the Zoid Battle Commission records, there are no other  
battles scheduled today for this region."  
  
"Well, let's check it out. It's not too far out of the way." The Hovercargo switched to  
off-road mode and headed out to search.  
  
  
In a deep underground bunker, a man sat in leisure, reading. Suddenly an intercom clicked on.  
  
"Howard, we're picking someone up, shall we spring the trap?"  
  
"Go right ahead, it's been a while since we've been in battle, I hope we're all not rusty."  
  
"You got it."  
  
The man smiled, the poor fools won't know what hit them.  
  
  
"We're almost on it now," Jamie announced. "I should be able to punch it up onto the screen."  
An image appeared that made the whole Blitz Team gasp. What they saw was a Judge Capsule, but  
instead of the usual silver color, the capsule was black with red trim.  
  
"A Dark Judge!" They all cried out.  
  
"Jamie, full stop. Bit, Leena, Brad, I want you three to go out there and confirm it."  
  
"You mean in our Zoids?" Bit asked.  
  
"No, don't use the Zoids. Any mechanical movement might trigger it."  
  
"I can't believe it, I thought the Backdraft Group was put away for good after the Royal Cup,"  
Bit complained as they left the cockpit.  
  
"Come to think of it, whatever happened to the Backdraft Group?" Leena asked Brad. "I mean  
after the Royal Cup, it seemed like they dropped off the face of the Earth."  
  
"Most of the senior members were arrested by the Zoid Battle Commission," Brad explained. "Dr.  
Layon, as well as the man Bit met when he and the Liger Zero were captured."  
  
"That's right," Bit agreed. "I think they called him... Atile or something like that."  
  
"Anyway, most of the senior members as well as all of those associated with them were arrested.  
The only ones who escaped were the Committee of Seven."  
  
"What's the Committee of Seven?"  
  
"I don't know, but apparently the Backdraft Group holds them in high regards."  
  
The three Blitz Team members left the Hovercargo and purched on a hillside. Bit took out a pair  
of buinoculars and looked through them.  
  
"No doubt about it now," Bit said. "That's a Dark Judge. But the hatch is closed. Looks like  
it's been deactivated."  
  
"It looks pretty rusty," Leena said taking the buinoculars from Bit. "Maybe it was one of their  
earlier models."  
  
"Or a defective one that was left out to pasture," Brad added taking the buinoculars.  
  
"We should destroy it," Bit said firmly.  
  
"You're right," Leena agreed. "We can use the Hovercargo's AZ30 sniper guns. That should be  
able to..."  
  
Suddenly an air raid siren went off.  
  
"What's that?" Brad asked.  
  
"It's a battle alarm!" Leena realized.  
  
"Leena, Bit, Brad, get back to the Hovercargo on the double!" Jamie called fom Bit's  
communicator just as the Dark Judge capsule rotated and opened up.  
  
The object inside was remarkably similar to a normal Judge with two exceptions: the color, which  
was a black color and its voice, unlike the fully digitized version of a normal Judge, was  
sinister.  
  
"Battle approved, battle approved," it said almost mockingly.  
  
"Wait a second," Jamie protested. "We never agreed to a battle."  
  
"Too bad. Battlefield set up."  
  
"Jamie, full reverse!" Doc. Torros cried out. But behind the Hovercargo, some sort of energy  
shield was raised. It wasn't dome-shaped like the ones the Backdraft Organization usually uses,  
just a barrier.  
  
"There must've been a dealy-action timer on it," Jamie figured, voicing over the intercom. The  
others all got into their Zoids. "Entering the field activated it and when the time was up, the  
field would raise and that would activate the Judge."  
  
"Less figuring, more mobilizing," Brad said.  
  
"Bit Cloud and Liger Zero, mobilizing!"  
  
"Leena Toros and Gun Sniper, mobilizing!"  
  
"Brad Hunter and Shadow Fox, mobilizing!" The Zoids were catapulted onto the field.  
  
"Battle mode 0999," the Dark Judge announced.  
  
"Hey Jamie, did the Dark Judge say which team we were up against?" Bit asked.  
  
"No, he didn't."  
  
"I knew it, that thing was put here on purpose."  
  
"Ready... FIGHT!" The Dark Judge started the battle.  
  
"Fight against what?" Brad asked looking around.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud screach. A large silver object swooped down from the sky and buzzed  
the Blitz Team.  
  
"What was that?" Bit asked. The object revealed to be a large eagle-like Zoid.  
  
"It's a Storm Sworder!" Doc. Torros cried excitedly.  
  
Four more Zoids appeared on the horizon. They seemed to be very powerful. A Rev Raptor, a  
Saber Tiger, a Shield Liger, and a Guyzak.  
  
"This isn't fair, they have us surrounded," Bit protested as he fired the Liger's shot cannon.  
  
"And they're moving so fast I can't target them," Leena agreed.  
  
"Since when has that stopped you before?" Brad pointed out dryly.  
  
"Oh yeah, good point," Leena replied evoking a groan from Brad. "All right. Weasel Unit Super  
Assault!" The attack blew the Rev Raptor and Guyzak back behind their allies.  
  
"Who are these people?" Bit asked.  
  
"I'm glad you asked," a deep voice said. A comm. link opened to reveal a large dark-skinned man.  
Apparently, he was inside the Saber Tiger. "We are the Sirens Team, a member of the  
Backdraft Group. Our motto: win at any cost."  
  
"Just like the Backdraft Organization to leave behind a little surprise," Bit said. He charged  
forward and pounced on the Shield Liger but the Shield Liger raised its energy shield and  
batted Liger Zero away. The Storm Sworder made another dive bomb and attacked with missiles.  
  
"Jamie, I have an idea," Doc. Torros said. "I could send a electro-magnetic pulse into the  
shield through the rear guns. The pulse would open up a hole in the shield for only a second.  
I could probably get one or two Zoids through and they could go for help."  
  
"That's a good idea, Doc, but the Zoid that remains would be at a serious disadvantage."  
  
"True, unless a certain Wild Eagle was willing to make an appearance."  
  
Jamie sighed. He had a feeling it would lead to something like this. "I'll go get ready."  
  
Out on the battlefield, the Sirens Team had the Blitz Team backed into a corner.  
  
"Everyone, listen up," Doc. Torros said on a private frequency. "I'm going to open a hole in  
the shield. I want two of you to go through it and go get help.  
  
"Right," Leena said back. "Bit, you come with me."  
  
"Hey, you're going to just leave me here to take them on all by myself? I'm not even going to  
get any prize money!"  
  
"Don't worry, Brad," Doc. Torros said. "Jamie's already getting prepped for launch."  
  
"Great."  
  
"Here we go." The rear guns fired a steady stream of energy.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing?" The Dark Judge asked.  
  
"Let him do that," the Siren Leader, Howard, said. "It's not as if they're going to accomplish  
anything."  
  
The Blitz Team's plan was coming to fruition. A hole began to open up in the shield.  
  
"Bit, Leena, hurry, I don't know how much longer I can keep it up," Doc. Torros said. The Liger  
Zero and Gun Sniper ran through just as the energy shield gained strength.  
  
"Leena, where are we going?" Bit asked.  
  
"We're going to see somebody who might be able to tell us what's going on."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Doctor Layon."  
  
"Leena, have you flipped your wig?" Bit asked. "You're willing to trust him after all the  
hassle he's put through us."  
  
"Layon's fight is with my father, not me or you. I know he'll tell us what we want to know."  
  
"So why did you drag me along?"  
  
Leena turned away from the screen so that Bit wouldn't see her blush. "Well it wouldn't hurt to  
have some backup in case something goes wrong."  
  
"But why did you pick me? Why not Brad or Jamie?"  
  
"Oh, quit your belly aching. Let's just go see Dr. Layon and get back as soon as possible."  
  
"All right."  
  
The Dark Judge saw them leave. "Well, well, the Liger Zero and Gun Sniper are disqualified from  
the battle, so are you ready to give up?"  
  
"Not a chance," Brad denied.  
  
  
Jamie took several deep breaths as the Raynos was raised to the catapult level. He could already  
feel the Wild Eagle spirit taking over, the rush, the fearless, animal-like spirit. To tell the  
truth, he was sort of scared of the Wild Eagle persona that he apparently inherited from his  
father. The Wild Eagle was so unpredictable that Jamie was afraid that one day, he would lose  
control. Well, there was no time to worry about that now. The catapult opened.  
  
"Jamie Hemeros, mobilizing the Raynos! Go, Raynos!" The Raynos shot out of the Hovercargo.  
  
Immediately, Jamie paniced. He was heading straight towards the energy shield. He pulled back  
on the control stick and hit the thrusters.  
  
Everybody watched this display from the ground. Howard chuckled. "So much for your  
reinforcements. Take care of him, Stonewald." The Storm Sworder shot up into the air.   
  
Brad gritted his teeth. "Shadow Slide," he commanded just as the Guyzak and the Saber Tiger  
opened fire. The Shadow Fox quickly formed an image of itself with the smoke discharger. As  
predicted, the Sirens were confused. Brad attacked the Saber Tiger and knocked him down.  
  
The Storm Sworder turned to help its comrades against the Shadow Fox but just then, the Raynos   
came jetting down at moch 1. The Storm Sworder twirled to dodge but found itself at the mercy   
of the Raynos' back-mounted laser cannons. The Storm Sworder was blasted out of the sky.  
  
A hardy laugh came over the communication frequency. "So you Sirens think you can mess with the  
Wild Eagle of the Blitz Team, do you? Well we'll just see about that." Brad smiled and  
quickly engaged the Guyzak in battle.  
  
  
In about ten minutes, Bit and Leena arrived at the Zoid Battle Commission headquarters, the  
massive Ultrasaurus. After explaining their situation, the ZBC agreed and flew them vie a  
pair of Pterruses to the prison where most of the Backdraft Warriors were being held.  
  
"You got five minutes with the prisoner," the guard told them once they got there. He knocked on  
the door. "Layon, you got visitors."  
  
Layon looked up in surprise as Bit and Leena walked in. He hasn't changed since Leena last saw  
him at the Royal Cup. He still had the same short dark hair, the same large figure. His head  
was bandaged showing that he still hadn't recovered from taking the force of the Beserk Fury's  
attack.  
  
"Leena!" Layon cried excitedly. He went up and hugged her tight. "It's been so long."  
  
"How've you been, Dr. Layon."  
  
"As well as can be expected." It was then that Layon noticed Bit. "Bit Cloud if I'm not  
mistaken. I've heard you were the one to stop the Beserk Fury from taking out everything."  
  
"That's right."  
  
"Dr. Layon, we need your help. We're in a battle with a Backdraft Group Zoid battle team."  
  
"A Backdraft team?" Layon said astonished.  
  
"They called themselves the Sirens Team."  
  
"The Sirens Team! So... they are real." Bit and Leena looked at him with confused looks.  
"My genius was an important asset to the Backdraft Organization so they were always trusting me  
with top-secret information. The Backdraft always figured that they would have to be disabanded  
someday, probably because they were making an enemy of the Zoid Battle Commission. So they left  
several 'hidden' teams around. They were acting independently. If any Zoid team was to wander  
into their viscinity, they would trap them and engage them in battle."  
  
"That's hanous!" Bit commented.  
  
"This is the Backdraft Organization," Layon reminded him. "The Sirens Team is one of those  
hidden teams, one of the best I might add."  
  
"Dr. Layon," Leena spoke up. "How do we defeat them? They have an energy shield around the  
Hovercargo."  
  
"The energy shield is controlled by the Dark Judge," Layon said. "So take him out and the shield  
will be lowered."  
  
"That's all and good, but we would need to get back in there and I don't think the Dark Judge is  
going to let us," Bit pointed out.  
  
Dr. Layon asked the guard for a pen and paper. When he was given such items, he wrote something  
down. "Type in this code into your Zoid's computer system then send it to the Dark Judge. It's  
a code that overrides the Dark Judge's circuits. We used it in ever case a Dark Judge falls into  
the wrong hands."  
  
"Like the Zoid Battle Commission?" Bit said a little harsh. Leena shot him an evil glare. Dr.  
Layon just nodded.  
  
As Bit and Leena turned to leave, Layon said, "Leena, tell your father that once I get out of  
prison, I'm coming after him and this time, no force on the planet can stop me!"  
  
"I will, Layon, bye."  
  
  
Brad grunted as the Shield Liger rammed him using its shield energy. Meanwhile, the Rev Raptor,  
and Saber Tiger tried to catch the Raynos.  
  
"You guys are out of your league," Wild Eagle said.  
  
"More like you're out of yours," the pilot of the Saber Tiger said. "Lightning Fang!" The  
Saber Tiger reached up and chomped down on the Raynos' leg. Wild Eagle grunted as the Saber  
Tiger pulled him to the ground.  
  
"Ja... I mean Wild Eagle," Brad called. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine," came back Wild Eagle.  
  
"If Bit and Leena don't get back soon, we're done for," Doc. Torros groaned.  
  
"Yoo-hoo!"  
  
"Mind if we come in?" Speak of the devil, it was Liger Zero and the Gun Sniper. They were  
standing outside the force field.  
  
"What are you doing here?" The Dark Judge snapped. "You're out of the battle."  
  
"That's all right," Leena replied as she typed something into her Zoid gear. "We just wanted to  
give you a little present from your bosses at the Backdraft Group."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Sending now." Suddenly the Dark Judge started convulsing out of control.  
  
"Something's happened to the Dark Judge!" The fallen Storm Sworder pilot cried.  
  
"Bingo, we got control," Leena said. "Bit, I'll shut down the forcefield. You go in and get  
them."  
  
"Ready whenever you are, Leena."  
  
The forcefield flickered for a minute then turned off. Immediately the Shadow Fox and Raynos  
expanded to get some distance. Liger Zero and the Gun Sniper moved in.  
  
"Double Strike Laser Claw!" Bit cried. The Liger's claws sliced the Shield Liger and Saber  
Tiger in half. The Rev Raptor turned to leave.  
  
"Not so fast, buddy," Leena said. "Weasel Unit Super Assault!" The Rev Raptor was taken down.  
  
"Looks like we won," Brad said as the Blitz Team assembled in front of the Hovercargo.  
  
The Sirens Team scrambled out of their Zoids.  
  
"You won't get away with this," Howard declared. "Once the Backdraft Group..."  
  
"The Backdraft Group is gone, bud," Bit said.  
  
"They tried to take on the Zoid Battle Commission at the Royal Cup," Jamie said, returning to his  
normal state. "They failed."  
  
"You have two option," Brad threw in. "Surrender peacefully or walk away peacefully."  
  
Howard growled. "Sirens, withdraw!" The Siren Team ran out.  
  
  
Once the Zoids were retrieved, the Blitz Team continued on their way home. Once they got there,  
they sat around in the strategy room. Bit and Leena explained how they got the Dark Judge to  
shut down.  
  
"I'd never thought we'd be thanking Layon for his help," Brad said.  
  
"I guess it was lucky you went to him, Leena," Jamie agreed.  
  
"There's one thing I'm interested in knowing," Dr. Toros said. "What was that code number you  
inserted?" Bit reached into his pocket and took out the piece of paper Layon gave them. Dr.  
Toros looked over it and his eyes widened. "I don't believe it, he remembered after all these  
years."  
  
"Remembered what?" Leena asked.  
  
"'All these years'?" Brad mimiced.  
  
Dr. Toros looked up at Leena. "Leena, this code number is actually a date. The birthdate of  
your mother."  
  
Leena gasped and put a hand on the back of Bit's chair to keep from falling. "My... mother?!"  
  
"I remember the story you told us and the Tigers Team, Doc," Bit said. "I guess we shouldn't be  
surprised. After all, Layon was in love with her too."  
  
"The code number must've been Layon's password to get into the data system of the Backdraft  
Group's Headquarters," Toros remarked. "That's why the code worked when Leena inserted it."  
  
"You think it was just a coincidence?" Brad wondered.  
  
"Like Bit said, Layon had a crush on Leena's mother too, it's no surprise that he would want  
something to remind him of her," Jamie told him.  
  
"Poor Layon," Leena said. "If he did this, then he must've had strong feelings for her. I feel  
so sorry for him."  
  
Toros patted his daughter's back. "Me too, Leena, me too."  
  
  
Bit: The Battle Royale, a yearly competition where all the Class-S teams would battle each other.  
The remaining Zoid or team would would get its share of a very generous amount of prize money.  
Too bad Kayla can't even last fifty seconds in a normal Zoid battle. Maybe I can help. Next   
time on Zoids: "Kayla's Reconing: Showdown at the Battle Royale" Ready... FIGHT! 


	8. Kayla's Reckoning: Showdown at the Battl...

Okay, before I begin this episode, I just wanted to take the time to address the reviews you  
guys have been sending me. Thank you. I put a lot of hard work into each episode and it's good  
to know that it's not in vain. However, I would also like to know why you guys like it. Some   
of you say that it's remarkably similar to the series. But what you guys think of the general   
plot, the characters, the new Zoids I've been bringing in. Also, if any of you guys know   
something I can do to make it even better, feel free to e-mail me and I'll pay attention to them.  
With that said, on with the next episode of Zoids-S.  
  
  
Zoids-S  
  
Episode 6: Kayla's Reckoning: Showdown at the Battle Royale.  
  
  
The Blitz Team sat in one of the many diners at Vanguard City. They were all taking a small  
hiatus from Zoid battling. After battling the Mary Team and the Sirens Team, they certainly  
deserved it. Everybody was in high spirits. Even Bit was, as Leena noticed. Lately, he seemed  
much more calm about going into Vanguard City. True, he still tensed up whenever they entered  
the city but at least he didn't whine about it.  
  
"You know, we've been in Zoid battles for so long, I almost forgot what it was like to just sit  
on the sidelines and watch," Leena mused.  
  
"I know, it's like going backpacking and taking the heavy backpack off after about five hours,"  
Bit agreed.  
  
"I'd rather be out there earning some prize money," Bit said putting his legs on the table and  
leaning back on his back two chair legs.  
  
"Oh can it with the mocho crap," Leena said kicking the legs out causing the former mercenary to  
crash to the floor. "You like taking a break as much as the next warrior."  
  
"So what if I do," Brad countered bringing his chair up on all four legs.  
  
"I'd have to agree with Leena on that," Jamie said. "Besides, watching an enemy during battle  
can lead to effective strategies when you have to go up with them."  
  
"Coming up next on ZBTV," a faceless announcer said. "A live Zoid battle between the Nuke team  
and their arch rivals, the Raider Team."  
  
"Nuke team," Bit repeated. "Hey, isn't that the team that Scott and Kayla Fernand are on?"  
  
"Hey, that's right," Leena confirmed remembering their introductions.  
  
~ "My name's Kayla Fernand," the girl introduced. "I'm part of the Nuke Team."  
  
"I'm Scott Fernand, leader of the Nuke Team." ~  
  
"The Nuke Team and the Raider Team have been rivals since they both entered Class-S, with the  
Nuke team winning the Southern Royal Cup and the Raider Team the Eastern Royal Cup," the  
announcer continued. "The Raider Team is highly expected to win this battle but hopes are still  
high for the Nuke Team."  
  
"Do you guys think Kayla's as good a warrior as she wants us to believe?" Jamie asked.  
  
"I don't think even she believes she is," Brad replied.  
  
"As far as Zoids are concerned, the Nuke Team will be using primarily Rev Rapters while the Nuke  
Team's Zoids consist of Dark Horns."  
  
"Well there you go," Brad said. "Dark Horns are much more powerful than Rev Rapters."  
  
"True, but you also got to take into account the warriors' strength and experience," Jamie  
argued. "Since we don't know what either team is like in battle, there's really no way to tell  
who will have the advantage."  
  
"Guys, it's starting," Bit interrupted.  
  
On the TV, the Judge Capsule just touched down. "Battlefield setup, the Nuke Team versus the  
Raider Team. Battlemode S-0982. Ready... FIGHT!" All six Zoids charged towards each other.  
  
"Guys, look." Leena pointed to the bottom of the screen where six pictures were, three on the  
left side and three of the right side. Two of the pictures on the right side looked like Scott  
and Kayla.  
  
"I guess those are to tell the audience who's been knocked out of the battle," Brad figured.  
  
On the battlefield, Scott was trying to take charge of the situation, not giving the Raider Team  
the chance to back them into a corner.  
  
"Kayla, Harvey, don't stand so close to me, we can't give them a chance to get us all in one  
shot."  
  
"Right, brother."  
  
"Right, Scott."  
  
The Rev Rapters on either side of Scott's peeled off and spred around to the side of the Dark  
Horns.  
  
"Good plan," the Raider leader commented. "Since our guns can't pivot, you think you have the  
adventage. Too bad it won't work." The Dark Horn that was Kayla's target backed up allowing  
the bullets from the hip-mounted mini gataling guns to fly across its front. The Dark Horn  
then worked its way around and rushed at Kayla's Rev Rapter from the side.  
  
"Kayla, watch out!" Scott shouted a warning. Kayla screamed. The Dark Horn rammed the side of  
Kayla's Rev Rapter. The Rev Raptor fell over onto its side, a hole punctured where the guns  
were.  
  
"Nuke Team registration number 58714 out of the battle," the Judge announced.  
  
On the screen, a red slash mark appeared on Kayla's picture.  
  
"You mean that Rev Rapter that got rammed was Kayla?" Leena gasped. Jamie winced, remembering  
all the times he was taken out of the battle at the beginning.  
  
"Talk about poor piloting," Brad commented. "I could've dodged that."  
  
Bit looked at his watch. "Wow, it hasn't even been a minute and already Kayla's out of the  
battle."  
  
"And from the way Scott and that other guy are still battling, it seems like its a natural  
occurence," Jamie added.  
  
"Harvey, finish off that Dark Horn fast then deal with the one that shot Kayla," Scott ordered.  
  
"You got it, Chief," Harvey said. He extended his blades and sliced the gun on the Dark Horn's  
back off. He then fired his guns again.  
  
"Harvey, use the Rev Rapter's jaw chomp," Scott instructed. The Rev Rapter bit down on the Dark  
Horn's back. Even though the Dark Horn's back was too big to fully fit in the Rev Raptor's  
mouth, it served the purpose of disabeling it.  
  
Scott backed up and looked at Harvey. He was looking a little warn. And Kayla isn't much help.  
Looks like he would have to go on this alone. Unless...  
  
Scott's Rev Rapter broke into a run. The Dark Horn began chasing it. The Rev Rapter charged  
towards the Dark Horn that Kayla was fighting. The other Dark Horn turned towards Scott and  
aimed his back-mounted cannon.  
  
"Yes," Scott called silently to himself. The Rev Rapter leaped into the air just as the pilot  
pulled the trigger. The bullets struck the other Dark Horn and it was disabeled.  
  
"Two down, one to go," Scott said. "Time for a kamikaze!" Scott's Rev Rapter extended its  
blades and it fell head first onto the last Dark Horn. Both Zoids were disabeled, but Harvey's  
was still standing and that meant victory.  
  
"The battle is over!" The Judge cried out. "The battle is over. The winner is... the Nuke  
Team!"  
  
  
"Well I admit, that was a pretty interesting battle," Brad reviewed as they finished their lunch.  
"Taking a nosedive like that."  
  
"I kind of feel sorry for Kayla," Bit said.  
  
"I know what you mean," Leena told them. "Being taken out of the battle so early, it's a real  
insult."  
  
Jamie looked back at the screen. "Maybe there's something we can do to help."  
  
  
The Fernand's house was located about ten miles north of Vanguard City. It was a lot smaller  
than the Blitz Team's base because that was mostly what it was, a house. The Zoid bay and  
maintenance center was located in a storage warehouse in Vanguard City. Normally, Harvey would  
take the Rev Rapters back there to work on, but they didn't have a battle for a while so he came  
back with Scott and Kayla.  
  
"Wow, if I had to describe that battle in one word, it would be bloody," Harvey commented.  
  
"I admit, that battle was a lot more intense than some of our other battles," Scott agreed.  
  
"Sorry about staggering at the last minute out there."  
  
"Don't worry about it, it all worked..." Scott then noticed that Kayla was still standing in the  
doorway, staring at the floor like it was more interesting than her teammates. "Kayla, you know  
if you keep standing there, the birds will eventually think you're a statue," he joked.  
  
"I don't deserve to," she said.  
  
"You don't deserve to stand in a doorway?"  
  
"I don't deserve to be a Zoid warrior."  
  
"That's just a load of bull," Scott said. "Everybody's worthy to be a warrior."  
  
Kayla entered and sat next to Harvey. "Except me. This happens every battle, I get taken out   
without even firing one shot. I'm worthless."  
  
"Boy, for somebody who's very knowledgeable about Zoid battles, you sure don't know about how to  
act as a Zoid warrior." It was Bit. He along with Leena and Brad were standing where Kayla was  
standing a second ago.  
  
"Hi, guys," Scott greeted. Introductions between Harvey and the Blitz Team were made. "So from  
the sound of your voices, I'd say you saw the battle."  
  
"Yup, all of it," Brad confirmed. Kayla lowered her head.  
  
"Normally, Kayla doesn't act this depressed after a battle," Scott explained. "But today she's  
really down, and we're participating in the Battle Royale next week."  
  
"What a coincidence," Leena said. "So are we."  
  
"Yeah, a lot of Class S teams are participating," Bit added.  
  
"Obviously it's the prize money, ten times the normal Class-S amount."  
  
"So anyway, we saw what happened on the battle and we were thinking maybe we could help."  
  
"Bit was thinking that," Brad ammended.  
  
"We could give Kayla a few pointers, just enough so she can last in a battle for longer than a  
minute."  
  
"There he goes with that we stuff," Brad said.  
  
"In times like these, it's best to humor him," Leena whispered to him.  
  
"Could you really help me?" Kayla asked looking at him with hopeful eyes. But then she lowered  
her head again. "But if you help me, then I have to go up against you at the Battle Royale..."  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it," Brad said. "With any luck, you'll get up against Leena, and we all  
know how her fighting style is like."  
  
"Why don't you try saying that to my face, buddy boy," Leena said.  
  
Bit, ignoring his teammates, turned to Kayla. "So you're interested?"  
  
"Yes!" She practically shouted.  
  
Bit winked at the girl. "All right, then meet me at 11 o'clock tomorrow and we'll get started."  
  
"This oughta be a riot," Leena said.  
  
  
The next day, Bit and Kayla stood in an open field not far from the Blitz Team's base in their  
Zoids.  
  
"All right, Kayla, we're going to start with simple moving and dodging abilities first, that'll  
get us ready from what's to come, all right?"  
  
"Fine by me."  
  
"Okay. I'm going to fire a blast from Liger's shot cannon on your left flank. All you have to  
do is dodge to your right."  
  
"But if I already know where you're going to hit me, what's the point of dodging."  
  
"I did say we were going to go with simple."  
  
"All right."  
  
"Okay, Liger, just fire a shot on her left side, that's our right."  
  
The Liger's roars sounded annoyed. "I know, I know, just making it clear for you, Liger."  
  
{I can do this,} Kayla tried to psyche herself up. {All I have to do is dodge to the right.  
Dodge to the right, dodge to the right, dodge to the right.}  
  
The Liger fired.  
  
Kayla jerked her controls to the left, the Rev Rapter fell over.  
  
"Kayla, I said I was going to hit you on your left."  
  
"Sorry, I freaked out."  
  
"All right, let's try it again. Same thing."  
  
The Liger fired again.  
  
Kayla pulled back on the controls. The Rev Rapter backed up but the blast struck its legs. It  
still fell down.  
  
"This is going to take a while," Bit said to himself.  
  
For the next two hours they did simple dodging drills. Towards the end, it looked like Kayla  
was getting the hang of it. So Bit tried to surprise her. Unfortunately, he hit the side of  
the Rev Rapter and it fell over.  
  
"Let's go onto something else," Bit decided.  
  
A half hour later, they were standing in a narrow passageway between two cliffs. There were  
several targets set up along both sides.  
  
"This is target practice," Bit explained. The object should be simple."  
  
"This I know I can do," Kayla assured him.  
  
"All right, let's see what you can do." Liger Zero moved off to the side. Kayla took aim and  
fired the gataling guns.  
  
The gataling guns hit the rock wall.  
  
"Oops, guess my aim was high. Here we go." Kayla fired again and knocked the target off its  
hinges.  
  
"Well it's progress," Bit declared.  
  
  
Leena and Brad watched this escapade through the courtesy of buinoculars.  
  
"Talk about the blind leading the blind," Leena said as she handed the buinoculars to Brad.  
  
"The only reason Bit's so good is because Liger Zero's an Ultimate X, not because of his piloting  
skills," Brad said.  
  
"I know, what's Bit trying to prove?"  
  
  
The training continued on into the afternoon. Kayla wasn't getting better but she wasn't getting  
worse. By the time night fell, Kayla was so worn out from the training that she fell asleep in  
her Zoid. Bit and Doc. Torros brought both Kayla and her Rev Rapter back in the Hovercargo.  
  
"Thanks for bringing her back," Scott said quietly as he took his sleeping sister from Bit's  
arms.  
  
"No problem," Bit replied.  
  
"I can imagine training her wasn't easy."  
  
"I admit, it was a lot more difficult than I realized."  
  
Scott put Kayla down on the couch and covered her with a blanket. "Believe me, I know the  
feeling. When we first became a Zoid team, I did my best to train her in the ways of Zoid  
battling. But she just couldn't get the moves down. I'm sorry if she's just wasting your time."  
  
"Not at all," Bit said leaning on the threshold. "I volunteered the time, she just accepted it."  
  
"Bit, why did you choose to train her?"  
  
Bit had to think about that one. "Well... in a lot of ways, she reminds me of me. I admit I  
wasn't the most supreme Zoid warrior. Wow, if Leena heard me say that, I'd never hear the end  
of it. Anyway, I had to work too, and not all of our battles were winning ones. But once I  
learned to actually put some effort into the skills that I needed for Zoid piloting, everything  
came as a breeze. At the end, I felt so proud of myself, that I went from being a nobody junk  
dealer living out of his truck to one of the best Zoid pilots in my class, right up there with  
Jack Sisqo and Naomi Fluegel. I just want Kayla to feel the same accomplishment that I have."  
  
"That's very noble of you, Bit. Believe me, I want Kayla to feel that way just like you do. I  
have a feeling that sooner or later, Kayla will be a great Zoid warrior."  
  
"Yeah, I'm even hoping to go one-on-one with her."  
  
"Hey, who knows, you might get that wish."  
  
"Maybe, well I gotta go. Tell her I'll see her tomorrow."  
  
As Bit left, neither him or Scott realized that Kayla's eyes were open and that she heard every  
bit of their conversation.  
  
  
The training continued. Slowly but surely, Kayla began to get better. She was still a little  
weak in the dodging department but as for targeting and fast-thinking decision, she was just as  
good as other Zoid warriors.  
  
Finally, the day of the Battle Royale arrived. The Hovercargo pulled up to the 50 mile area  
where the Battle Royale was scheduled to be held. All along the perimeter of the field were  
judge capsules, one to monitor the progress of each team participating.  
  
Bit was transforming Liger Zero into Liger Zero-Schneider when he contacted Jamie in the  
cockpit. "Hey Jamie, any sign of the Nuke Team yet?"  
  
"Nope, not yet. What kind of transport are they suppose to be using."  
  
"I think a Molga equipped with loading platform," Bit said.  
  
"Well let's see, I see lots of Gustavs, Whale Kings, Reptires and even a Bigasauru, but no  
Molga."  
  
"All right." Bit, Leena, and Brad were ejected onto the battlefield.  
  
"Battlefield set up," the judges spoke in unison. "Battlemode S-1122. Competition: Battle  
Ryale. Rules: All teams will fight at the same time. A Zoid is disqualified if their command  
system freezes, if they are disabeled, or if they withdraw from the competition. Once all the  
team's Zoids are disabeled or withdrawn, that team's Zoids are asked to leave the arena at once  
and return to its transport unit. All teams insert S-Zoid gear as registration."  
  
"Razor Team, S-Zoid gear set."  
  
"Midnight Team, S-Zoid gear set."  
  
"Flash Team, S-Zoid gear set."  
  
"Raider Team, S-Zoid gear set."  
  
"Skull Team, S-Zoid gear set."  
  
"Blitz Team, S-Zoid gear set."  
  
As the teams reported their readiness, Bit couldn't help but felt sad, perhaps Scott felt that  
Kayla wasn't ready and withdrew from the Battle Royale.  
  
"All Zoid teams confirmed except for Nuke Team."  
  
"Wait!" A Molga appeared in the horizon. It quickly landed. And there were three Rev Rapters  
with it. Bit saw Scott, Harvey, and Kayla leave the Heligunner and get into  
their Rev Raptors.  
  
"Nuke Team, S-Zoid gear set," Scott stated.  
  
"Glad you guys could make it," Bit said opening a communication channel to Kayla's Rev Rapter.  
  
"Hey, if you thought I was letting you train me for nothing..."  
  
"What was I thinking?" Bit mocked asked himself.  
  
"Battlemode S-1122," the Judges announced again. "Ready... FIGHT!" All the Zoids rushed into   
the arena and started battling.  
  
Bit was about to go after a very tempting Command Wolf when a familiar-looking Hellrunner  
charged at him.  
  
"You're mine, Bit Clown!" Yup, that gravel and chalk dust voice could only belong to one person:  
Nicholas Atomson. Zero-Schneider extended one of its side blades and ran at the Hellrunner,  
slicing its legs off. Nicholas Atomson was taken out faster than Kayla was during last week's  
Zoid battle.  
  
Meanwhile, Kayla looked around for some opponent. Pretty much anybody not on her team was fair  
game. An alarm told her there was a Zoid approaching her way. She looked up to see a Dark Horn.  
From the markings on its side, it was one of the Raider Team's.  
  
"Okay, stand firm," she told herself. She took aim with her gataling guns and opened fire. The  
bullets struck the Dark Horn's front. Realizing that her shots weren't working, Kayla  
immediately put the training she learned from Bit into action, dodging to the left. The Dark  
Horn ran by her. When the pilot saw that he missed he swung around for another pass. This time,  
Kayla dodged to the right, but her elbow accidentally landed on the button that extended the Rev  
Raptor's blades. As the blades extended, they struck the side of the 150 milimeter cannon on the  
Dark Horn's back. Kayla backed up as the Dark Horn got ready to fire its cannon. But sparks  
began erupting from the cannon and the entire weapon exploded disabeling the Dark Horn with it.  
  
"I did it," she realized. "I did it!"  
  
Bit was plowing through the competition with the Zero-Schneider's blades. He saw Kayla take down  
the Dark Horn.  
  
"Good job, Kayla!" He congratulated just as the Liger buckled under assault from one of the  
Razor Team's Spinefins. Bit tried to maneuver Liger for a Buster Slash attack but the Spinefin  
wasn't giving him much time.  
  
Suddenly a brown blurr raced by the Spinefin. Next thing anybody knew, the Spinefin's tail  
exploded and it fell. Bit looked up to see a Lightning Saix staring at him. Bit couldn't  
believe it. It was the same Lightning Saix that was at their first Class-S battle, he was sure  
of it, that could only mean...  
  
The Lightning Saix turned and walked away. Just then it was blasted on its blind side by the  
dual beam cannons from a Shield Liger.  
  
"No!" Bit extended all five of Zero-Schneider's blades and fired its ion thrusters. The Shield  
Liger activated its energy shield but the thrust from the Schenider's thrusters rammed the  
blades through the shield and knocked one of the beam cannons off. Before Bit could turn around,  
Brad took advantage to earn some target points by nailing the Shield Liger.  
  
"I could've handled it," Bit told him.  
  
"Nobody said you couldn't, but something like this was just too good to pass up."  
  
"Boys," Leena muttered. Suddenly she was hit from behind by a Dark Horn.  
  
"Leena!" Both Bit and Brad cried just before they were hailed with ammo. The Dark Horn that  
attacked them was remarkably similar to Harry Champ's in that it had the same attachments: a  
gataling rifle and heavy beam launcher. The Blitz Team was out of the battle.  
  
"Only two teams left," one of the Judges announced. "Nuke Team and Raider Team." The two teams  
approached each other. For a moment, nobody moved.  
  
"Wow, it's like a wild west showdown," Jamie commented from the Hovercargo.  
  
"Three Rev Rapters, two Dark Horns," Kayla smirked. "Looks like we have you outnumbered and  
outmatched."  
  
"You got the outnumbered part right," the Raider leader replied. "But you'll never be a match  
for us." One of the Dark Horns turned and plowed towards Harvey's Rev Rapter. Harvey went  
flying and landed on his side. Both Zoid and pilot were down.  
  
"No!" Kayla cried.  
  
"Kayla, move in for close-range combat, just like you did with the first Dark Horn," Scott  
instructed.  
  
"Right, bro." The two Rev Rapters extended their blades and charged the Raider. The Raiders did  
likewise.  
  
"Kayla, don't let up even for a second," Scott told her.  
  
"I don't plan on giving up," Kayla responded. The four Zoids met, horn versus blade.  
  
For a moment, time stood still. Everybody from the Blitz Team to the Judges watched to see what  
happened. Finally, the Zoids separated. The Rev Rapters' blades were broken, but a crack formed  
in the side of the Dark Horns. The Dark Horns fell.  
  
"The battle is over!" The Judge watching the Nuke Team cried out. "The battle is over! The  
winner is... the Nuke Team!"  
  
All of the other Zoid teams (except for the Flash Team who were trying to get their crying leader  
to calm down) burst into applause. It took a moment for it to register in Kayla's brain that   
they won. In fact, not only did they win, but she played a hand in that victory. Kayla Rev   
Rapter lowered its head and Kayla jumped out. She ran over to her brother's Rev Rapter and  
jumped into his arms as soon as he climbed out.  
  
"We did it! We did it!" Kayla cried.  
  
"We couldn't have done it without you, sis," Scott said. Kayla beamed.  
  
Brad's attitude was a little less jubilant. "So much for the prize money."  
  
"Yeah," Leena agreed. "This was a total waste."  
  
"I don't know," Bit said watching the Nuke Team celebrate their victory. "I thought it was a   
pretty eventful day. After all, Kayla not only survived a big battle, but helped win it."  
  
"You know, he does have a point," Leena commented.  
  
"Yeah, I guess, I mean it's not like we needed the prize money.  
  
When Bit opened his cockpit hatch, Kayla saw him. Bit smiled and held out his fist. Kayla   
smiled and mimiced his movement.  
  
Brad: Ashley's Iron Konger is attacked. The culprits are this radical faction calling   
themselves the WARLords. They claim we've been using Zoids for all the wrong purposes. I   
don't know what they mean, but I do know that if somebody doesn't do something soon, Ashley is a   
gonner. Next time on Zoids: "The Arrival of the WARLords." Ready... fight! 


	9. The Arrival of the WARLords

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 7: The Arrival of the WARLords  
  
Across the sandy desert rode a single Zoid. By its gorilla-shape, one would assume it was an  
Iron Kong, or a Hammer Rock, but this Zoid has undergone so many modifications that it was even  
given a new name: the Konger.  
  
The Konger was piloted by Ashley Coller of the Zoid Battle Commission. She was basically an  
errand girl for the ZBC. It wasn't as harsh as the name sounded, she was actually the hand of  
the ZBC. Not only that, but she was a pretty good Zoid pilot herself, losing only once to former  
Zoid mercenary Brad Hunter. Her Konger was modified with heavy gataling weapons on each shoulder  
and iron spikes underneath the hands which made up her Strike Iron Knuckle attack as well as  
enhanced armor and weapons.  
  
The Zoid was strong, no argument there, but it wasn't fast. And if there was one thing Ashley  
needed right now, it was speed.  
  
"They're almost on me," she gasped as she turned around. Behind her, approaching rapidly were  
several extremely fast Zoids: a Sinker, a Hellcat, a Saber Tiger, two Guysacks and a Molga. And  
close behind them, their leader and the most powerful Zoid of the group, the Elephander. All the  
Zoids were painted black. Ashley thought about turning and fighting them, but she needed to get   
the information she had back to the Zoid Battle Commission. And fighting against the Elephander,  
a Zoid with such perfect attack and defense abilities, would be suicide. Unfortunately, it   
didn't seem like she was given much of a choice.  
  
From the sky came a Salamander, an aerial Zoid with the speed of a Storm Sworder and the  
firepower of a Raynos. It launched several grenades blocking the Konger's way then followed it  
up with an attack from its 80mm forward-facing cannons.  
  
"Looks like I have no choice but to fight," Ashley said. She turned the Konger and charged  
towards the group. The Konger leaped into the air and came down hard on one of the Guysacks. It  
then turned and fired its gataling cannons at the Saber Tiger and the Hellcat. The Saber Tiger  
went down but the Hellcat remained, firing the beam launcher it was equipped.  
  
Ashley was concentrating on the Hellcat so she failed to notice the sinker ramming the back of  
the Konger's knees then going under the sand causing the Konger to fall to its back. By then,  
the Elephander had approached. Ashley got ready to fire her gataling cannons again but the  
Elephander formed an energy blade with its trunk and sliced them off.  
  
"No, I have to get out of here. Strike Iron Knuckle!" The Konger brought its hand up to punch  
but the second Guysack stopped that by literally sitting on it.  
  
"If you think you're getting that information back to those babies, then you're as mistaken as  
they are," the Elephander pilot said. The other Zoid pilots laughed at Ashley's predicament.  
The Elephander raised its right front foot and brought it down on the Konger's stomach. Ashley  
screamed as the Elephander proceeded to pummel the Konger.  
  
"One... chance," Ashley muttered. The Konger's hand grabbed one of the gataling rifles and  
swung it like a club. It actually succeeded in denting the Elephander's trunk.  
  
"You little witch, you'll pay for that!" Ashley laughed but then the Konger's cockpit went dark.  
Apparently, the Elephander hit the Konger's power source. The gorilla fell to the ground.  
"Well, fitting payback, don't you think?" The Elephander resumed its relentless assault against  
the Konger.  
  
Suddenly, the second Guysack was struck with energy blasts from behind. The attackers turned to  
see a blue and white snail-shaped vehicle coming their way, all weapons on it firing with  
incredible fury. The vehicle stopped before the top opened and a launch ramp popped out.  
  
"The Blitz Team," Ashley muttered just before she lost consciousness.  
  
  
In the cockpit, Doc. Torros spoke on an intercom. "Bit, Brad, Jamie, mobilize on the double!"  
  
"Roger," the three boys answered back.  
  
"Bit Cloud, mobilizing Liger Zero-Jager!" The blue Liger catapulted forward and went straight  
for the Elephander.  
  
"Brad Hunter, mobilizing Shadow Fox!" The Shadow Fox went for the Sinker.  
  
"Jamie Hemeros, mobilizing Raynos!" The green air-born Zoid was launched. It immediately  
went into moch 2, looping wide and coming down to attack the Salamander.  
  
"Take care of these interlopers," the Elephander pilot ordered. The Sinker, Saber Tiger, and  
Hellcat all went forward to meet them in battle.  
  
"Oh no you don't." That came from Leena Toros, who was still in the HoverCargo firing the  
weapons with pure satisfaction.  
  
"Keep firing, Leena," her father instructed. "I'm going to maneuver in close so we can retrieve  
the Konger."  
  
Leena actually managed a successful hit, taking the Sinker out with a barrage of gun fire.  
  
Meanwhile, the Salamander and the Raynos were having a dog fight a few miles above the ground.  
Jamie, now known as the Wild Eagle, had the pilot of the Salamander second-guessing everything.  
The Raynos surpassed the speed of sound causing a sonic boom to knock the Salamander out of the  
sky.  
  
"Hah," Wild Eagle laughed. "That flying hat box was no match for the Wild Eagle."  
  
"I have to destroy you while I still have the chance," the Elephander pilot said in reference to  
Ashley.  
  
Bit and Brad said at the same time. "Strike Laser Claw!" The two Zoids came at the Elephander   
from both sides. Their combined attacks ripped a nice hole in the side of the big Zoid.  
  
"Elephanders may be powerful, but they're easy targets," Bit said.  
  
The HoverCargo pulled up to the Konger. The front hatch, the compartment that was originally  
meant for the Dibison, opened up and two grappling claws pulled the Konger into it. The hatch  
closed again.  
  
"Leena, full reverse," Doc. Torros called. "I'm putting up the shield." The HoverCargo began  
backing up while energizing its shield allowing the blasts from the attacker Zoids to bounce off.  
  
"Everybody scatter!" Doc. Torros announced. Liger Zero-Jager activated its ion boosters and  
propelled at incredible speeds away. The Raynos jetted up into the air, vanishing in the clouds.  
The Shadow Fox activated its cloaking shield.  
  
The Elephander pilot let out a scream of fury. "All WARLords, fall back." The Zoids retreated  
into the distance, not knowing the Shadow Fox was still there.  
  
"The WARLords?" Brad asked himself. "What are they?"  
  
  
The mighty Ultrasaurus served as the headquarters for the Zoid Battle Commission. The ZBC was  
the organization who oversaw Zoid battles as well as a peacekeeping and defense agency. In the  
control room, the heads of the Commission were having a meeting of a disturbing nature.  
  
"Sir, two hours has elapsed and Ashley still hasn't reported in," an officer spoke out. "I hate  
to say it, but it's possible that she might've been discovered and..."  
  
"We can't go thinking like that," the Chairman of the Commission said. "Ashley Coller was sent  
on a mission that might be vital to the survival of the Zoid Battle Commission, maybe even the  
world. We can't thik of failure at such a critical time. Trust me, Ashley will come through for  
us."  
  
"The Konger's transponder signal went offline a while ago," a technician reported. "Maybe Ashley  
found an alternate source of transportation."  
  
The Chairman grimmed. Obviously, the young technician was trying to be optimistic. It was a  
good attempt, but he was about ready to write Ashley off for dead.  
  
  
The HoverCargo cruised along heading in no particular direction. Doc. Torros didn't want to risk  
the Zoids that attacked the Konger following them back to their base. Along the way, they picked  
up Bit, Brad, and Jamie. Right now, Jamie and Doc. Toros were looking over the Konger, or what  
was left of it. Bit and Leena walked in.  
  
"What's the diagnosis, Doc?" Bit asked.  
  
"Well the armor has dents within dents," Doc. Toros began reading off the list of damages. "The   
power source has been completely destroyed, and the command system has been corrupted. But   
considering it's been trampled on by an Elephander, I say it looks pretty good, wouldn't you?"  
Bit and Leena shared a pained look.  
  
"I guess we're just lucky the Konger's armor was so thick otherwise Ashley's body would've been  
among this wreckage," Jamie said.  
  
"You don't think it was the Backdraft Group that attacked Ashley, do you?" Leena asked.  
  
"That would be my guess," Bit agreed. "There was an Elephander with it."  
  
"I don't think it was," Doc. Toros muttered. The children stared at them.  
  
"What do you mean, Doc?" Jamie asked. Doc. Torros lead them back to the cockpit where Brad was  
at the helm.  
  
"True, the Backdraft Group use dangerous methods to win, but they still act under the assumption  
that Zoid battling is an honorable competition between warriors. If they didn't think so, they   
wouldn't have created the Dark Judge to oversee the unsanctioned matches. The guys who we fought  
today acted like they were on a search and destroy mission. They used random Zoids instead of   
sending their teams out in the same Zoids. The attackers may have an Elephander, but they aren't  
part of the Backdraft Group."  
  
"Doc's right," Brad said. He caught the tail end of the conversation as the others came onto the  
cockpit. "After you guys left, I heard their leader sound the retreat order. They called  
themselves the WARLords."  
  
"The WARLords?" Leena said. "What are they?"  
  
"They're terrorists." Everybody turned to see Ashley limp into the cockpit. Her head and leg  
was bandaged, her left arm was in a sling and she had a bandaid on her neck and a black eye.   
Her face looked pale but her eyes had a dark look to them. Her ZBC jumpsuit was in tattered   
ribbons when she arrived so now she was down to a gray sports bra and drawstring sweat shorts of  
the same color.  
  
"Ashley, you should be in bed," Jamie said.  
  
"The only way you'd make me get into bed is if you trapped me there with metal clamps and even  
then I would break out."  
  
"At least sit down," Doc. Toros said offering his chair. Ashley decided that for the people who  
saved her life, the least she could do was accept their hospitality. She sat down.  
  
"You said they were terrorists," Brad reminded her. "What did you mean?"  
  
Ashley sighed. "What I'm about to tell you is top-secret. Normally, I would deny everything,  
but seeing as how Brad heard it from their lips..." Ashley cast a side glance at Brad. Leena  
and her father shared a look. Normally, Ashley wouldn't call Brad by his first name, but rather  
"Mr. Hunter." This apparently was serious.  
  
"The WARLords are a terrorist group," Ashley explained. "Apparently, they've been around since  
the forming of the Zoid Battle Commission, maybe even before then." Leena gasped, Bit's eyes  
narrowed, Brad and Doc. Torros grimaced. "They feel like they have to prove something to the  
Zoid Battle Commission."  
  
"What's that?" Jamie asked leaning against the railing.  
  
"That we're using Zoids for the wrong reasons."  
  
The entire Blitz Team reacted in surprise. "The wrong reasons? Well how should we be using  
Zoids?"  
  
"I don't know. I was sent on an undercover assignment to find out their strength and extension  
of influence. But somehow they found out about me. I took off to warn the Zoid Battle   
Comm ission but they sent their most powerful Zoids after me. Obviously, that's where you came   
in."  
  
"The battle wasn't far from our base," Jamie informed. "When we went to investigate, we  
discovered you in a jam so we came to your rescue."  
  
"I have to take my findings to the Zoid Battle Commission," Ashley said. "If I don't, we're all  
doomed. That's why I have to take the Konger to the Ultrasaurus. We're pretty sure they've  
tapped our communications." Ashley started to get up, although staggered might've been a better  
word.  
  
"Sit down," Doc. Torros said firmly. "You're in no position to pilot a tricycle let alone a  
Zoid and your Konger's in even worse shape than you are. We'll take you. Besides, if your  
findings are so important, then the HoverCargo can get there much quickly than the Konger."  
  
Ashley looked around at the Blitz Team. They all had smiles on their faces, even Brad, the guy  
whom she tried to throw out of Class-S a couple of weeks ago. Why would they help her out?   
Especially since only a few weeks ago, she was trying to throw one of their own out of Class-S.  
She felt like she didn't deserve their kindness, but something deep down told her that she could   
rely on all of them, even Brad. She smiled. "Thank you. Thank you, all."  
  
Doc. Torros turned to Jamie. "Jamie?"  
  
"You got it, Doc," Jamie said sounding a little bit like his Wild Eagle persona. He ran down to  
the helm and sat in the seat. "Setting a course for the Zoid Battle Commission Headquarters!  
Full steam ahead!" The HoverCargo did a U-Turn and headed off to the Ultrasaurus.  
  
  
In a deep underground bunker, a man bent on one knee in a genuflect. Before him was a figure  
cloaked in dark robes, his face hidden behind a ski mask, goggles, and some sort of mouth piece  
that was obviously a voice synthesizer.  
  
"You have failed me," the voice on the screen said. "She will bring what she knows to the Zoid  
Battle Commission."  
  
"I apologize, sir, we were caught off-guard. She apparently had some allies waiting until the  
time was right."  
  
"The Zoid Battle Commission must see the error of their ways. We must attack them now."  
  
"Attack the Ultrasaurus? But sir, there isn't a Zoid around that can stand up to an Ultrasaurus,  
not even a Whale King."  
  
"The Zoid Battle Commission is weak from their 'games'. They will be no match for you."  
  
"Aye-aye, sir. We will mobilize at once."  
  
  
The HoverCargo still had some ways to go before it reached the Ultrasaurus so most of the Blitz  
Team decided to get some sleep. The only one awake was Jamie who was at the controls. He heard  
the doors open and someone sit down and start up the computer. After a minute more, Jamie set  
the autopilot controls and turned around. Ashley was sitting at the Doc's station looking   
through some files.  
  
"Ashley, I thought you would be asleep," Jamie said.  
  
"I've had enough sleep thank you."  
  
Jamie was caught off-guard by Ashley's tone. "Uh... sorry."  
  
Ashley was caught off-guard by her tone too. "No... I'm sorry, I just can't help feeling   
useless."  
  
Jamie could see that Ashley felt uncomfortable about expressing her feelings so he decided to  
change the subject. "Is that the information on the WARLords?"  
  
"Yeah. I manage to download a copy of their general database onto a microchip just before I was   
found out. Hopefully, when the Zoid Battle Commission looks them over, they can figure out a   
countermeasure to their actions. We already figured out that they use black Zoids and paint the   
Zoids that aren't black. At least that way, we know how to differentiate them."  
  
"They really seemed serious about destroying your Konger. It's like they're trying to start a  
war with the whole planet."  
  
"I hope it doesn't come to that. This planet has seen enough war to last a lifetime."  
  
An alarm came from the helm consol. Jamie headed on back down.  
  
"Looks like we're coming upon a battlefield." Sure enough, there was a Zoid battle, but there  
was no Judge capsule, light or dark. Plus the battle participants. A team of six Gojulas  
against a variety of Zoids that were all the same color: black. That meant they could only be  
one group: the WARLords.  
  
Jamie slammed the intercom. "Get up, everybody! The WARLords are right in front of us!"   
  
"Oh my God!" Ashley gasped. "Those aren't any normal Gojulas, those are the Zoid Battle  
Commission's security squad! That meant that the Ultrasaurus is under attack."  
  
In no time, the others were up and in the cockpit.  
  
"Can't we go around them?" Bit asked still adjusting his vest. Suddenly the HoverCargo  
shuddered as it was hailed with gunfire.  
  
"Not any more, they've spotted us!" Leena said.  
  
"We're about twenty miles from the Ultrasaurus," Jamie reported. "But the WARLords have already  
seen us. Sorry, Ashley, it looks like we won't be able to get you there."  
  
"Not alive anyway," Brad muttered as the HoverCargo was hit.  
  
"Yes we will," Doc. Torros said. "Bit can take you."  
  
"Huh?" Everybody chorused.  
  
"If there's any Zoid that can cover that distance in a short amount of time, it's the Liger Zero.  
Leena, Brad, get to the gun turrets on the double. Jamie, energize the shield.  
  
"Come on, Ashley." Bit helped her to the loading bay. Fortunately, the Liger Zero was at the  
top so they could launch first.  
  
The Liger Zero lowered its head and the hatch opened. Bit jumped into the cockpit and the  
harness lowered. Ashley stared at the Liger Zero, wondering where she was going to sit. She  
couldn't sit in front of him, that would block his vision. There was no room on either side.  
  
Bit moved his seat forward so it was practically on top of the compartment that the Zoid Gear  
was inserted into. Fortunately, he wouldn't need it.  
  
"Ashley, hop in." Bit gestured to a small space behind the cockpit chair. Ashley hauled herself  
up and into the Liger Zero's cockpit.  
  
"All right, Liger, here's the game plan, we're going to blitz through the battlefield and head  
towards the Ultrasaurus." The Liger let out a series of roars. "Liger, our primary task is to  
take Ashley to the Ultrasaurus." He smiled. "But if they just happen to block our way..."  
  
"Bit, are you and Ashley ready to go?" Doc. Torros asked.  
  
Bit looked behind at Ashley. She nodded. "Ready to go, Doc. Should I transform into Zero-Jager  
to be on the safe side?"  
  
"No, the Zoids the WARLords are using don't seem to be primarily built for speed, only power.  
All right. Launching Liger Zero!"  
  
"I guess this is a bad time to mention I'm not used to asking or receiving assistance," Ashley  
said as the Liger was connected to the catapult.  
  
"Yup," Bit replied before yelling out "GOOOO, LIGER!" Ashley held on to the head of Bit's chair  
as the Liger was launched from the catapult. As the Liger began to fall to the ground, a Saber  
Tiger leaped up attending to stop the Liger from proceeding any further.  
  
"Watch out for that Saber Tiger!" Ashley warned.  
  
"No problem. Strike Laser Claw!" The energized claw tore into the Saber Tiger's armor shell.  
The Liger touched down successfully and began to move forward. Two black Rev Rapters stood in  
its way but a quick double blast from the shot cannon took them out of the fight.  
  
"Here we go," Bit said as he activated the Liger's ion booster. "YAHOO!"  
  
"You guys are crazy," Ashley said.  
  
"Nope, just people who like to have fun." The Liger Zero soared like a rocket towards its  
destination. Several times, WARLord Zoids moved to block but they couldn't even touch the Liger  
Zero.  
  
Soon the giant Ultrasaurus loomed up ahead, but a huge Zoid was attacking it. It was bigger  
than a Whale King but not as big as the Ultrasaurus. It looked like a giant scorpion.  
  
"What is that thing?" Bit asked.  
  
"It's a Death Stinger!" Ashley realized.  
  
"We have to go help them," Bit said.  
  
"Wait a minute, Bit," Ashley protested. But it was too late. The Liger Zero leaped onto the  
back of the Death Stinger.  
  
"Foolish pilot," the Death Stinger operator grunted. The two large barrels began to power up.  
  
"Watch out for those mortar cannons!" Ashley warned.  
  
"Right. Double Strike Laser Claw!"  
  
"Death Stinger Tail Strike!" The Death Stinger's tail batted Liger Zero away. Bit and Ashley  
grunted as the Liger was thrown to the ground.  
  
"You okay, Liger?" Bit asked. The Liger roared an affirmative. "Ashley, this is going to get  
dangerous, I'm going to let you off by the Ultrasaurus."  
  
"Bit, its energy shield is raised. Nobody will be able to get in."  
  
"Aww shoot."  
  
Ashley gave him a smile. "Don't worry, I know what to do. She leaned over and activated the  
communication system. "Zoid Battle Commission, this is Ashley Coller, I'm on board the Liger  
Zero. Please deactivate the energy shield."  
  
The screen showed the Chairman of the ZBC, the same man who spoke to Bit when he won the Royal  
Cup. "Ashley, thank heavens you're alive, but we're currently under assault. If we lower the  
shield, the Death Stinger will attack us."  
  
"This is Bit Cloud of the Blitz Team," Bit spoke up. "I have an idea. I'm going to distract the  
Death Stinger just long enough for Ashley to enter the perimeter of the shield."  
  
"Bit Cloud... yes, you won the Royal Cup. But the Death Stinger is not like the Beserk Fury.  
Your Liger won't be able to defeat it."  
  
"I'm not expecting it to," Bit said. "Just distract it."  
  
The Liger Zero lowered its head and the hatch opened.  
  
"Be careful, Bit," Ashley said hobbling out.  
  
But the Death Stinger pilot saw her. "Oh no you don't, your secrets die with you."  
  
"Not today!" Bit cried as the Liger Zero chomped down on the Death Stinger's tail. The Death  
Stinger flicked the tail and the Liger Zero went flying again.  
  
"This isn't working like I thought," Bit said. "I sure wish the Doc was here."  
  
"Ask and you shall receive." The HoverCargo appeared. "Brad, Leena, and the security squad  
have that battle covered. Bit, come on back, I think I have something you need."  
  
"I read you, Doc." The Liger quickly retreated into the HoverCargo. The Death Stinger got ready  
to fired its main weapon, the supercharged particle gun.  
  
But its back was to the Ultrasaurus who fired its shot rockets. The pilot grunted and fired the  
particle gun. The HoverCargo backed up so that the shield won't take such a hard hit from it but  
the bea, still defeated the energy shield.  
  
"And now you die... huh?" The side panel on the HoverCargo opened and a large green Liger was  
dropped onto the battlefield.  
  
The Liger Zero-Panzer.  
  
"All right, WARLord," Bit said. "Let's see how you do against the Panzer. Hybrid cannons fire!"  
The two large cannons on the Panzer's back fired, knocking the mortar cannons off. The tail  
moved to fire the particle gun but the Ultrasaurus fired the two main cannons disabeled it.  
  
The pilot grunted. "This has been a total waste of my time, I knew attacking an Ultrasaurus was  
a bad idea. All WARLords retreat!" The Death Stinger turned around and ran away.  
  
"Great job, Bit," Doc. Torros congratulated just before his face was replaced by that of a masked  
man.  
  
"Beware, Zoid Battle Commission," it said. "We are the WARLords." The transmission was  
broadcasting everywhere, the Ultrasaurus, the HoverCargo, Zero-Panzer, the Judge Satellite and  
every communication frequency that a Zoid team uses. "For too long, we have sat idly by while  
you abuse the power given to you. The original purpose of Zoids were as war machines, tools of  
destructions, stallions of battle, but you have corrupted it with your silly games and childish  
rules. We are here to remind you of the true purpose of Zoid battling, to destroy the enemy. So  
watch out, Zoid Battle Commission, because the WARLords are here." The voice let out a sinister  
laugh before going off-line.  
  
"Something tells me our problems are just beginning," Bit told Liger. Even with all the armor  
on, Liger manage to nod his head.  
  
Leena: So why does Bit tense up every time we go into Vanguard City? Maybe it has something to  
do with that female Lightning Saix pilot of the Flash Team... Hold the train, she's Bit's WHAT?!  
Boy, just when you think you know a guy. Next time on Zoids: "Bit's Reunion: Rematch with the  
Flash Team." Ready... FIGHT! 


	10. Bit's Reunion: Rematch with the Flash Te...

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 8: Bit's Reunion: Rematch with the Flash Team  
  
  
Bit Cloud woke up feeling better than he had in years. It was like someone plugged him into an  
outlet and he'd been recharging now he was fully charged. Bit dressed and went in search for  
the one thing that would make him even happier.  
  
Food.  
  
On the way to the kitchen, he passed by Brad Hunter who was just exiting his room. Unlike Bit,  
Brad was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"Good morning, Brad," Bit greeted in a melodic tone.  
  
"What're you so cheery about?" Brad asked.  
  
"Do I have a reason not to be cheery?"  
  
"Something's up with you, what?"  
  
"Oh come on, Brad, don't be such a sourpuss."  
  
"It's too early to be as cheerful as you are."  
  
"I know something that'll make Brad happy," Jamie Hemeros said as he walked in from the opposite  
direction. "I checked our account and a large sum of money has been deposited into it. I  
guess the Zoid Battle Commission wanted to thank us for rescuing Ashley a few days ago."  
  
As Jamie expected, Brad perked up at the mention of money. "Finally, some credit where credit  
is due. Now all we have to do is keep Doctor Torros from splurging it all."  
  
"I didn't tell him yet if that helps."  
  
"A lot," Bit and Brad said at the same time.  
  
The three came into the kitchen. There, they saw Leena flipping something in a pan.  
  
"Uh-oh, Leena's cooking," Jamie said.  
  
"This is a bad thing, right?" That was Brad.  
  
"Oh come on, you guys are just being paranoid," Leena said. "Jamie's been teaching me to cook."  
  
"Trying to is more like it," Jamie muttered.  
  
"At this point, I'm so hungry I'll eat anything," Bit said plopping down at the table.  
  
"What are you so excited about?" Leena asked as she unloaded a pancake onto a plate.  
  
"I just feel like this is my lucky day. Nothing can dampen my mood, not even if Harry Champ was  
to walk through that door."  
  
"I'm glad to see you're so positive, Bit," Doc. Torros said as he walked in. "And I have some  
news that'll excite you even more. We just been challenged to a battle by the Geyser Team."  
  
"Aren't the Geysers that heavily armed Gojula team?" Leena asked.  
  
"Sure is. It's suppose to take place in a few hours."  
  
"OH YEAH!" Bit stood up. "A battle, just what I need to keep my lucky streek going."  
  
"To receive some prize money, sure," Brad agreed.  
  
"Then prepare the Zoids, we're heading out to coordinates L37E14!"  
  
"Hey wait, what about my breakfast!" Leena reminded them.  
  
"When there's a Zoid battle to win, food can wait," Bit said as he headed out to the Hover Cargo.  
  
Leena scowled. "Hmph, and after the nice breakfast I made for them." She then sniffed the air.  
"Something's burning." She turned and saw that the pancake she was cooking caught on fire.  
Leena screamed and dumped the mess into the sink, turning on the water. Soon, it was out.  
"Phew. Hey guys, wait for me!" Leena decided to leave the cooking to Jamie from now on.  
  
  
A while later, the Blitz Team's Shadow Fox, Gun Sniper, and Liger Zero stood at the coordinates.  
Before them were three Gojulas, one was equipped with the normal arsenal, two cannons and  
various small beam cannons. Another was armed with a wild weasel unit like Leena and the third  
was equipped with a quattro impact cannon and had wrist gataling units like a Gun Sniper.  
  
"Jeez, Bit, save some of that energy for the battle," Leena said noticing Bit squirming in his  
seat like a kid sitting in the theater having to go to the bathroom.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just know I'm going to clean house this battle."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Hey Bit, are you sure you don't want to convert into Schneider?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Positive. Liger and I will do just fine without converting." Liger roared an agreement.  
  
"Battlefield set up!" The Judge began. "The Blitz Team versus the Geyser Team. Battlemode  
S-0982. Ready... FIGHT!"  
  
With a psychotic laugh, Leena fired her gataling rifles. "We'll see whose Wild Weasel Unit is  
the best." The Weasel-Gojula fired its cannons. Leena fired her rockets in response.  
  
Meanwhile, Bit rushed forward to meet the Impact Cannon-Gojula. The Liger leaped at the Gojula  
which swung its tail to bat Liger Zero away. The Liger landed on his feet and fired its shot  
cannon. The blast damaged the wrist gataling units but the Gojula still had its main weapon.  
  
"Let's not give him a chance to use his weapons, Liger. Double Strike Laser Claw!" The Liger's  
front paws glowed and challenged the dexterity of the impact cannons. The claws prevailed but  
the Gojula wasn't out of the battle yet. It actually engaged in hand-to-hand (actually more like  
tail-to-paw) contact with the Liger Zero. This struggle continued for five minutes before Bit  
was able to draw the Gojula in close and fired its shot cannon. The blast took out a piece  
of the chest plating. The Gojula fell.  
  
Brad and Leena were fairing just as well. Brad distracted his Gojula opponent with its  
smokescrean and launched a Strike Laser Claw attack with its back turned.  
  
"How's it coming on your end, Brad?" Bit asked.  
  
"Got it under wraps."  
  
"So do I. What about Leena?" The two turned their Zoids' heads to see the Gun Sniper standing  
over a mangled Gojula. It looked up at them and asked in Leena's voice, "What?"  
  
"The battle is over! The battle is over! The winner is... The Blitz Team!"  
  
"Oh yeah," Bit shouted sounding a bit like Leena for a moment. "I'm on fire! This day couldn't  
get any better!"  
  
"So now that we won the battle, now what?" Brad asked.  
  
Bit's stomach answered that by growling. "Wow, I guess in all the excitement, I forgot to eat  
breakfast."  
  
"Serves you right for missing out on the breakfast I made," Leena scolded.  
  
"He's hungry, not suicidal," Brad said.  
  
"Hey, come out of that Shadow Fox and say that to me again!"  
  
"With pleasure!"  
  
"All right, all right, kids, settle down," Doc. Torros said. "Why don't we all go into Vanguard  
City and get some lunch!"  
  
"That's fine with me, how about you, Bit?"  
  
"Hey, as long as we eat, I don't care where we go."  
  
"Then to Vanguard City it is!"  
  
  
The Hover Cargo arrived in Vanguard City. The Blitz Team had no problems finding a place to eat.  
Ironically, it was the same place that Bit, Leena, and Jamie ate in when Mary Champ made her  
presence known once again.   
  
"Wow, if Bit was any more hyper, he'd be shot right up to space," Leena commented.  
  
"I know," Brad and Jamie agreed.  
  
Their food arrived. Bit just took his first bite when a painfully familiar voice called out.  
"AH-HA! I knew you would be here, Bit Clown!"  
  
The Blitz Team rolled their eyes. It was Nicholas Atomson, leader of the Flash Team.  
  
"So we meet again, Bit Clown! Finally, you must be ready to declare me your ultimate rival!"  
  
"Actually, we just came in here for some lunch," Bit admitted.  
  
"Admit it, you're just eager to go face-to-face with..."  
  
"Nicholas, save it for the battlefield." Another boy walked up to them. He looked like Brad  
with the shaggy hair and the tall body but the hair was a darker color. His eyes were hidden  
behind a pair of purple-tinted sunglasses. He was the same guy who removed Nicholas from the  
restaurant on the day when Mary Champ challenged them to a battle. "I'm Rayshawn Nitoro, you can  
call me Nitro."  
  
"You were the Rapter pilot during our first battle," Bit said. Nitro nodded.  
  
"That just leaves your Lightning Saix pilot," Brad concluded.  
  
"Oh," Nicholas said as if he was just reminded of something. "Yeah, well she went..."  
  
"She's right here." A new voice joined the mix. The Blitz Team turned around and discovered a  
girl standing behind them. Her hair was blonde like Bit's and looked like it was pulled back  
permanently in a pony tail. Her eyes were a deep blue. She was dressed in a pink halter top and  
jean shorts. "It's been a long time, Bit."  
  
Bit's eyes narrowed and a scowl formed on his face. "Amber."  
  
"None other."  
  
"You were the Lightning Saix pilot at our first Class-S battle, and you were the one who knocked  
down that Spinefin that was attacking me at the Battle Royale."  
  
"Guilty as charged."  
  
"Wait, you two know each other?" Leena asked.  
  
"Amber's my sister."  
  
"Older sister," Amber emphasized. "Well, Bit, I see you moved up in the world."  
  
"That's right," Bit said firmly. "I'm part of Class-S."  
  
"Aww, how cute, little brother's trying to catch up to me."  
  
"Hey, I'll have you know I made quite the name for myself too. I won the Western Royal Cup for  
my team."  
  
Leena nudged him. "I thought it was your Zoid who won."  
  
"You're not helping," Bit muttered.  
  
To everyone's surprise, Amber just yawned. "So what, I did too. Face it, bro, what you've done  
is old news."  
  
"Should we leave you two alone?" Brad asked.  
  
"Look, Amber, I'm not 6 any more, I've manage to succeed without any help, especially yours."  
  
"Oh really, is that why your Liger was knocked down at the Battle Royale?"  
  
"My Zoid is an Ultimate-X!" Bit revealed.  
  
Nicholas and Nitro were surprised. "Whoa, how did you get your hands on an Ultimate X?"  
  
"Actually, it sort-of got its claws on me."  
  
Amber just ignored the revelation although she was surprised as well. "So in other words, you  
have a Zoid who does all the work and all you have to do is sit back and watch the action?"  
  
"That's sibling rivalry for you," Jamie cracked.  
  
"Sometimes it's best to stay away from something like this," Torros said drinking his coffee.  
  
"Liger Zero and I work as a team, Amber. The credit is given to both of us."  
  
"So now you rely on a Zoid to pick you up, huh?"  
  
"Looks like the only way I can show you is in a Zoid battle. So I challenge you to a Class-S   
battle and show you how much I've matured and how much I contribute to Zoid battles."  
  
"Hey, hold on, shouldn't you ask us if we want to go through with it?" Leena spoke up.  
  
"Well I don't think its fair putting a Zoid and pilot against just a Zoid, but sure, all right."  
  
"There he goes again," Jamie sighed. "Accepting Zoid battles blindly."  
  
"Only now he's dragging us along for the ride," Brad added.  
  
"At last!" Nicholas cried. "Another chance to prove to Bit Clown that I am his once and true  
rival!" That received weird looks from everybody.  
  
"Your leader's weird," Bit simply said.  
  
"That's an understatement," Amber agreed.  
  
  
Bit was the first one to exit the Hover Cargo when they got back to the Torros base. Leena was  
not far behind him. "Hold on a moment, buddy." The boy turned around. "What makes you think  
you can just throw out Zoid battle requests just because somebody's goading you?"  
  
Bit turned around and gave her the most serious look Leena has ever seen. "When I was a kid,  
Amber always used to bail me out of tight situations, even if I felt I could handle them.   
Whenever I found myself in a jam, no matter how big, there she was, saving me."  
  
"And that's a reason to challenge her to a Class-S battle? Honestly, Bit, I thought I knew you  
better."  
  
"There's more. Eventually, she started holding that over my head like a noose, showing off  
how superior she was and giving off the impression that I was as helpless as a baby Organoid.   
Everybody was talking about how lucky I was to have a sister who was always catching me   
when I fell and how I couldn't do anything without her help. I just want to show her that I can  
pick myself up and I don't need any help."  
  
"So let me get this straight, you want to challenge your older sister to a Zoid battle simply to  
show her you're grownup when you're acting like a child by doing this? Come on, Bit, I know  
thinking's not your style but try it just this once. Maybe the reason she's treating you like a  
child is because you're acting like one."  
  
"This is the only way to make her understand, Leena, the only way she'll recognize that  
I'm not as weak as she thinks. You saw what happened today, she refuses to believe I'm an  
accomplished warrior by my words. I have to make her see the truth." And then Bit turned and   
went inside.  
  
"Oh Bit," Leena sighed. This was eating him up inside, she could tell. "So much for your good  
day."  
  
  
The battle was scheduled for two days later. Bit easily had his request approved by the Zoid  
Battle Commission, partly because Amber put in her request on the same day. The Hover Cargo  
pulled up to the battle site, a 30 square smile radius in the desert. The three Zoids were  
ejected onto the battlefield.  
  
"I'd like to go after Nitro this time around if you guys don't mind," Brad said.  
  
"That's okay," Leena said. "I guess I'll take on Amber."  
  
"No," Bit said. "I'll take on Amber, you try to keep Nicholas from butting in.  
  
"Are you sure, Bit?" Leena asked.  
  
"Never been more sure in my life.  
  
It was then that the Flash Team arrived. Their three Zoids leaped from the Reptire carrier to  
the ground.  
  
The Judge Capsule touched down and the Judge emerged. "The area within a 30 mile radius is a  
designated Zoid battlefield. Only competitors and personnel have authorization. Danger! All  
other must leave the area at once! Area scanned, battlefield set up! The Blitz Team versus the  
Flash Team. Battlemode S-0982. Ready... FIGHT!"  
  
Bit immediately fired the Liger's ion boosters, hoping to take Amber by surprise. The Lightning  
Saix dodged but Liger back-handed the cheetah Zoid.  
  
Amber grunted. {Man, Bit's gone crazy! I guess he's just as reckless as he was years ago.}  
  
Leena thought the same thing. There was a lull in the battle with Nicholas' Hellrunner. Leena  
watched it for a while before turning back to Nicholas.  
  
"You will not stop me from having my battle with my rival," Nicholas declared.  
  
"Oh shut up," Leena said. "Weasel Unit Super Assault!" The Hellrunner dodged but the shockwave  
caused from the explosions behind him forced him down. "Gotcha," Leena smirked. Then grunted  
as the Rapter pummeled her with machine gun fire.  
  
"You may have defeated our leader," Nitro said to her. "But you won't defeat the entire team  
like last time." The Rapter charged forward and sliced the top two missile pods off the Gun  
Sniper.  
  
Brad did his best to try to come to Leena's aid, but the Gun Sniper was getting sliced up by the  
Rapter. Eventually, the Rapter struck a vulnerable area and the Zoid went down.  
  
Three words flashed on Leena's status screen: COMMAND SYSTEM FROZEN. "Beaten by a Rapter, how  
humiliating!"  
  
"Aww man." Brad tackled the Rapter from behind. "Strike Laser Claw!" The Shadow Fox sliced the  
Rapter's tail off. The Rapter turned around but Brad fired his laser vulcan gun. The Rapter  
went down.  
  
Amber quickly abandoned her fight with Bit to go after Brad. The Lightning Saix was too fast for  
the Shadow Fox and Brad went down.  
  
Brad's screen also showed the command system frozen warning. "Looks like it's up to you, Bit.  
Get her for us!" Inside, Brad couldn't help but worry that it seemed like he was cheering for  
Bit's seemingly feral attitude.  
  
The Lightning Saix renewed this assault on the Liger Zero. Bit was fighting blindly, even  
Nicholas could see that now. The Liger Zero activated its Strike Laser Claw but the Lightning  
Saix dodged and used its own claws to launch an attack of its own. The Saix damaged the Liger  
Zero's shot cannon.  
  
"Liger, can you still fight?" Bit asked. The Liger roared and flipped over, causing the  
Lightning Saix to be on the bottom. The long-range cannon that the Lightning Saix usually wore  
was damaged.  
  
"Both the Liger and Lightning Saix's weapons are damaged," Jamie reported. "But Bit still has  
the Strike Laser Claw."  
  
"The Lightning Saix is great when it comes to high speed battle," Doc. Torros said to Jamie.  
"But in close range combat, there's almost no Zoid that can match the Liger Zero."  
  
Meanwhile, the Liger stomped on the Lightning Saix's stomach.  
  
"I've been up against Lightning Saixs before, Amber," Bit told her. "Once your speed's out of  
the way, there's nothing you can do."  
  
Amber sighed. "All right, Bit, go ahead and finish me."  
  
"Huh?" Bit asked. This wasn't something he expected from her. Amber would keep on fighting  
until she wins or loses.  
  
"What are you waiting for, Bit, finish her off!" Leena instructed.  
  
"Do it!" Encouraged Brad.  
  
"It's obvious that you have advanced as a Zoid Warrior. So go ahead and finish me off if you  
wish."  
  
Bit just stared down at his sister. Suddenly he realized the truth, she wanted to hold this over  
his head as well. They both knew she could get out easily, but she wanted to show to everyone  
that she was willing to let her psychopathic brother win a battle to prove something that she  
probably doesn't really care about. Yeah, that did sound like the Amber that Bit knew. Bit   
didn't want to be in debt to her any more so he decided to do something that was completely out   
of character for him.  
  
To everyone's surprise, Liger backed off the Lightning Saix. Bit opened a communication  
screen to the Judge. "Judge, this is Bit Cloud of the Blitz Team. I'm forfeiting the match."  
  
Everyone, including Nicholas, gasped.  
  
Brad: "Forfeit?"  
Leena: "Is he out of his mind?"  
Nitro: "What's going on here?"  
Nicholas: "No way."  
Jamie: "Doc, what's going on?"  
Doc. Torros: "I'm not sure, this isn't like Bit at all."  
  
"Why won't you finish me off?" Amber asked.  
  
"Because that's exactly what you want me to do, so you'll have something else to use against me.  
You, making the noble sacrifice so that your reckless brother can prove a point. No way, Amber.  
I've grown past that. Judge?"  
  
"Deliberating... Deliberating... Forfeit accepted. The winner, by forfeit, the Flash Team!"  
  
There were no cheers from either side as Liger Zero turned around and walked away from the  
battlefield.  
  
"Hey wait, Bit, where are you going? Come back to the Hover Cargo."  
  
"Let him go, Jamie," Doctor Torros said.  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because at a time like this, it's best to leave him alone."  
  
  
Brad: What was Bit thinking, forfeiting the battle like that? Not only did we not win any prize  
money, but now Leena's putting Bit down like there's no tomorrow. I don't know, calling him such  
harsh names like a brooding skunk and organoid fodder seems a little harsh. Next time on Zoids:  
"A Dark Cloud in the Blitz Team." Ready... FIGHT! 


	11. A Dark Cloud in the Blitz Team

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 9: A Dark Cloud in the Blitz Team  
  
Jamie: Last time on Zoids, Bit's originally good day turned not-so-good when he was reunited with  
Amber, his long-lost older sister, who was part of the Flash Team. Seeing her again dug up old   
feelings that Bit had when he was a kid, feelings that included a need to prove that he had   
changed from the useless kid of the past to an accomplished warrior. The Blitz Team battled the   
Flash Team and eventually it came down to Bit and Amber. Liger had Amber's Lightning Saix   
cornered. Amber even allowed Bit the chance to defeat her. But Bit knew that if he took the  
chance, it would show Amber to be the good samaritin, a ploy that she often used long ago. So  
Bit backed off and forfeited the match, allowing the Flash Team to claim victory. You can  
probably guess how Brad and Leena felt, I hope they don't take it too hard on him.  
  
  
The Hover Cargo slowly approached the Toros base. The mood inside the cockpit was one of tension  
and morose, but it was not because they lost the battle with the Flash Team. The Blitz Team had  
lost battles before. Before Bit came along and tamed the Liger Zero, they were probably the  
worst team in the Zoid Battle League. And even after then, they did lose battles to teams like  
the Lightning Team.  
  
No, they weren't upset about that, but they were upset that Bit Cloud, their most powerful and  
determined member, forfeited a match that was already in the bag for them against a team that  
should've been a pushover. The monetary exchange had taken place soon after Bit left. Since  
then, the Blitz Team had picked up their wounded Zoids and trudged home. Luckily, the damage to  
the Zoids wasn't severe, but the damage to the pilots' egos on the other hand...  
  
As the base came into view, they could see the Liger Zero standing outside the bay door. The  
Hover Cargo stopped.  
  
"Well, we're home," Jamie announced.  
  
"Jamie, would you help me unload the Shadow Fox and the Gun Sniper?" Doc. Torros asked.  
  
"Sure, Doc." They then noticed that Leena was already stomping towards the exit. "Leena, where  
are you going?"  
  
Leena turned and faced her teammates with a look of pure hatred in her eyes. "I am going to find  
that cockamamie junk dealer and I'm going to rip him apart from limb to limb. Then I'm going to  
place him back together and RIP HIM APART AGAIN!"  
  
Jamie shivered, thankful that he wasn't Bit. As the Blitz Team went outside, He turned to Brad   
Hunter. "Hey Brad, you're pretty quiet. Aren't you upset?"  
  
"It's no biggie," Brad said. "We'll just win the next battle. It's not like this'll be a  
common occurence."  
  
"I hope Leena isn't too hard on him," Doc. Torros said. "His fault or not, Bit's the only one  
who can control the Liger Zero."  
  
"I better go see how bad the damage is," Brad decided.  
  
"To the Shadow Fox?" Jamie asked.  
  
"No, to Bit. Leena looked like she was ready to go through with her threat."  
  
Doc. Toros sighed and looked at the Liger Zero. "Come on, Liger, let's get you inside." The  
large white Zoid tilted its head at the doc but understood what he was saying.  
  
  
As expected, Leena found Bit in his room, staring out the window. It seemed like he hadn't moved  
from that position since he got back.  
  
"All right, buster, you have a lot of explaining to do!" She began. Bit remained at his post.  
"What was the big idea, forfeiting the match like that?! You're just lucky we have that money  
the Zoid Battle Commission sent us otherwise we would've been in a serious debt!"  
  
Bit said nothing. Leena couldn't believe he wasn't fighting back. It was like he set up some  
sort of mental wall around himself, a wall so powerful that nothing could get through. "Well,  
explain yourself, Bit Cloud! Why didn't you finish her off?"  
  
"It's what she wanted," Bit replied simply.  
  
Leena knew who he was talking about but didn't get his reasoning. "So even the enemy would want  
you to win? So what, that gives you all more the reason to win the battle!"  
  
"She wanted me to win so she could hold it against me later."  
  
That caught Leena off guard. "Hold it against you?"  
  
"Like I told you before, Amber was always showing me up, making me feel incompatable to her. As  
part of that, she used to let me have my way, just so she could use it against me to get me to  
do things for her. I wasn't about to give her that chance again. Win or lose, I would've been  
in some kind of debt so I thought it was best to cut my loses."  
  
"Look, you piece of organoid fodder!" That got Bit's attention. He actually turned to face  
her. His green eyes were dry and heavy. Had he been asleep, or crying? "Even if you were in  
the right, and I'm not saying you were, you should've consulted with the rest of the team before  
declaring forfeit! The Blitz Team is more than just you, you know." Bit was silent.  
Apparently, he ran out of things to say. "Fine, be a brooding skunk for all I care!" She turned  
to leave. "You know, the Blitz Team was perfectly fine before you came along, maybe you should  
stick to what you know best, junk dealing and making people feel miserable!" And she turned and  
exited the room.  
  
Bit turned around and continued to stare out the window. Was Leena right? Would it matter  
whether he left the Blitz Team or not? Bit suddenly realized something. Even though he   
forfeited the battle, preventing himself from being more in debt to Amber than he already was,  
she still won. Now in the eyes of both the Blitz and Flash teams, he was viewed as an almost  
psychopathic fighter who would do anything to prove his point, even lose a battle. He lost.  
  
"I lost," he said out loud, and he wasn't referring to the battle.  
  
Leena was walking down the hall. Brad was leaning against the wall. As she walked by him, he  
said, "Don't you think you were just a little bit rough on him?"  
  
"It needed to be said," Leena said in an uppity manner. "He needs to realize what a spoiled  
brat he's been and apologize.""  
  
"That's rich coming from you," Brad muttered.  
  
"What was that?" Leena asked giving him an evil eye. "Did you say something?"  
  
"Nothing important," Brad said and walked away. Leena scowled then went in the opposite  
direction.  
  
  
Bit wasn't the only Cloud doing some introspective searching. Amber stood in her favorite place  
in all of Vanguard City. A little niche hidden in an alleyway in the middle of the city. It was  
here that she could think about anything and everything she wished without being disturbed by  
somebody else. And she needed privacy right now, because something was clawing at her mind.  
  
Bit. He had her cornered, beaten. With one swipe of his Liger's Strike Laser Claw, he could've  
ended the battle, but he didn't. Not only that, but he practically handed victory to them on a  
silver platter. Could... could Bit have been right? Had he really changed? No, that couldn't  
be, Bit would never change, he's still the hot-headed boy she knew years ago... wasn't he?  
Amber growled in frustration. Why did he have to do that? Just when she thought she had him  
all figured out, he pulls this stunt.  
  
Truth be told, Amber was hurting inside. Bit had said he didn't need her any more. He all but  
denounced her as his sister. Amber felt that her purpose was to watch out for her younger  
brother, it never occured to her that Bit would've become this independent in such a short amount  
of time.  
  
Amber had to face the facts. Bit had changed. For the better? For the worst? Well, whatever,  
he had changed and Amber had to admit that. The problem was she couldn't. It was probably a  
Cloud trait, the stubborness.  
  
  
Leena sat on her bed clutching a star-shaped pillow. She realized that she probably said a  
little too much to Bit. He still deserved it, but perhaps that thing about making people feel  
miserable was over the top. She knew that she had to make it up to him somehow, and she   
knew how.  
  
Leena got up and left her room. She climbed into her Gun Sniper and headed for Vanguard City.  
Parking outside the city (Zoids weren't allowed inside the city limits due to their massive   
size), Leena went up to the same building they were in when they first came to Vanguard City,  
the registration building. The woman at the desk, Talia, was there as Leena suspected.  
  
"Talia?"  
  
The young woman looked up. "Yes? May I help you?"  
  
"I'm looking for the Flash Team base."  
  
"The Flash Team base? Sure, just go down three blocks, make a right, go down three more blocks  
then make a left. It's a gray apartment building in the middle of the street."  
  
"Thank you." Leena left the registration building and followed the directions Talia gave her.  
  
As she made the right, Amber exited the alleyway. Immediately the two saw each other.  
  
"Amber!" Leena called.  
  
"You're one of Bit's teammates, aren't you?" Amber asked. "I recognize your voice."  
  
"That's right, I'm Leena. Is there someplace where we can talk?"  
  
"Yeah, follow me." Amber and Leena retreated back into the alleyway. "So is this a pleasure  
trip or..."  
  
"It's about Bit," Leena interrupted.  
  
"We must've been thinking the same thing. Let me guess, he probably told you how I was always  
bailing him out of trouble no matter how insignificant it may seem and he probably hates me  
because I can't see how grownup he is."  
  
"That's right. When in fact, he's right."  
  
Amber looked at her curiosely. "Is that so?"  
  
"Yes. When he first came to us, I thought he was self-righteous pompous blowhard. But over the  
years that I've known him, he proved himself to be a great Zoid warrior. He was even able to  
tame the Liger Zero, a Zoid so wild that nobody could last ten seconds in its cockpit. Yet Bit  
was not only able to stay in it, but bring out its full potential. True, Bit can sometimes still  
be a pompous blowhard, but I think... what he was trying to do was impress you."  
  
"Impress me?"  
  
"He won't show it, but I believe he wanted you to be proud of him, proud that he was able to do  
something without your help."  
  
"I guess I never thought of it that way," Amber said walking around. "I always thought that Bit  
was trying to catch up to me."  
  
"Catch up to you?"  
  
"Yeah, here's what happened..."  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
She was only ten years old when it happened, although it felt like it was just last week.  
Amber Cloud was a gifted young girl. Ignorant in some ways, wise in others. One of the things  
that she was wise in was strategizing, taking a situation and using it for her cause. If it  
wasn't for her age, she would've been an excellent general.  
  
But what Amber always wanted to do was be a Zoid Warrior. She loved the thrill of going into  
battle, striking down the enemy. Winning the prize money was also a plus; although to her it   
seemed like a lot, it was probably just pocket change compared to the pay experienced warriors  
went by.  
  
Her chance finally came one sunny day. A Mail Godos came by and dropped her a letter. She   
ran into the house that she shared with her parents and her younger brother, Bit. Her mother was  
making dinner and her brother was eating it like he usually does, with his nose to the plate   
shoveling the food into his mouth.  
  
"Mommy, Mommy, look, it came, it came... what is it?" Her mother laughed and took the letter  
from her daughter's hand and Bit looked up from his meal. Amber was only able   
to recognize her name and nothing else.  
  
"Let's see," her mother said. "'Dear Ms. Cloud...'"  
  
"Is that me?"  
  
"Yes. 'Upon reviewing your profile and test scores, we are proud to invite you to attend the   
Zoid Elite Training Academy, ZETA, in Vanguard City!'"  
  
While almost anyone could've become a Zoid pilot, only few were given the chance to attend ZETA.  
What they did there was practically a mystery to most although some heard that it was taught by  
members of the Zoid Battle Commission itself. But that wasn't what excited Amber the most, but  
where ZETA was located, Vanguard City.  
  
"Vanguard City! I always wanted to go there!" Amber squealed.  
  
"I know. It also says 'in addition to learning the art of Zoid piloting, you and your classmates  
will be given a class of Zoid to study and hone your knowledge of including air, sea, dinosaur,  
beast, and insect. At the end of your training, you will be given the option of entering the  
elite Class-S of the Zoid Battle League.'" Class-S, like ZETA, was only whispered in rumors.   
Only members in Class-S were allowed to go to Vanguard City. In short, an opportunity like that  
didn't present itself every day.  
  
"Can I go, Mommy? Can I? Can I? Can I? If you're worried about money, I could always send you  
the money I get from winning Zoid battles?"  
  
Bit and Amber's mother smiled as if recalling a secret she knew. "All right."  
  
"Hey, can I go too?" Bit asked.  
  
Amber turned and scowled at him. She knew that if Bit came with her, she would be stuck with him  
like he was a permanent part of her and that would hamper her training. "You can't go, you   
weren't invited."  
  
"Aw, come on, Amber. I want to be as good as you."  
  
"Aww, ain't that cute, little brother wants to follow in my footsteps. Sorry, Bit, but you have  
to be as naturally talented as me to become a Zoid warrior."  
  
"But I want to go! Amber, people at ZETA get their own Zoid and everything."  
  
"Forget it, Bit, if you want a Zoid, you're just going to have to make one of your own." Bit,  
tears streaming from his eyes, ran from the room.  
  
Once in his own room, Bit crashed himself on his bed.  
  
"I'll never be as good as her," young Bit cried. Then he remembered something she said. 'If you  
want a Zoid, you're just going to have to make one of your own.' "That's it, I'll make my own  
Zoid, my own partner, and he'll be stronger, faster, and just plain better than whatever Zoid  
Amber uses. He'll have the best parts, the best weapons, the best everything. Then I'll show  
her." Unknown to Bit, Amber, who had been going to her own room right next door, heard every  
thing. She dismissed it as childish ambitions and went into her own room.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
"Who would've thought he'd actually go through with it? Now that I think about it, I realize  
that it was rude of me to say that. But keep in mind I was a kid at the time and didn't know  
any better."  
  
Leena looked at the setting sun. "I don't think Bit wants to catch up with you, Amber, he just   
wants to prove how much he's grown."  
  
"I guess I should've expected it to happen sooner or later. You know, in many ways, I'm jealous  
of Bit."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious? He's in Class-S and he didn't even go through ZETA. He pilots an Ultimate-X,  
something almost no present-day pilot can boast about, he has friends like you."  
  
Leena blushed. "Oh, I don't know about that. We don't exactly get along 100% of the time."  
  
"Neither did we, but if you're willing to come all the way out here and tell me all this, then  
Bit must be doing something right."  
  
"I guess he is."  
  
"Bit doesn't need to impress me to gain my respect, he's already had it. That's why I act the   
way I do, to show him that he doesn't need to do all that stuff. I guess I've been acting that   
way for so long that I've forgotten why I was acting that way to begin with."  
  
"I guess stubborness runs in the family." That caused a laugh from both girls.  
  
Amber placed her hand on Leena's shoulder. "Next time you see Bit, tell him how proud I am of   
all that he did and tell him... tell him that I will always be watching over him, even if he can  
get himself out of a situation. I'm his older sister, and that's what older sisters do."  
  
"I will. See ya', Amber!"  
  
"Bye, Leena!"  
  
  
It was too bad Bit didn't know about Leena and Amber's conversation because then he wouldn't have  
done what he was going to do next: run away. Bit thought his sister would never stop treating  
him like a kid, Leena hated him for acting so shallow, the others didn't even look at him when he  
walked by. The evidence was all there, Bit apparently wore out his welcome in the Blitz Team.  
He didn't tell anybody about what he was doing, not Jamie, not the Doc, not even Liger. He   
didn't want any of them to try to stop him. From now on, it will be him and only him, just like  
it used to be.  
  
Bit headed south from the Toros base. He didn't take much, just a canteen and some rations. He  
had some pocket money, but not a lot. Maybe he would do what Leon did, hire himself out as a  
freelance Zoid warrior. Of course he would need a Zoid.  
  
Bit had been walking through the plains for about an hour, maybe more. He stopped to take a rest  
underneath a rock. Suddenly the sound of metal clamking against dirt caught his ears. He turned  
to see a strange-looking Zoid pull up to the hillside near where he laid. It reminded Bit of the  
Beserk Fury with the snow-white armor, dinosaur-shape and glowing red eyes. But this Zoid  
walked hunched over, almost horizontally. It had two large cannons on the shoulders and large  
spikes along his back, almost like quills.  
  
"Bit Cloud, it's been a long time," came a child's voice, a voice that Bit knew very well.  
  
Vega Obscura.  
  
Sure enough, the hatch of the Zoid was raised and a boy was revealed. He had short black hair  
and blue eyes. His face had a gentle smile on it.  
  
"Vega Obscura, it has been a long time, hasn't it? This isn't the Beserk Fury, is it?"  
  
"No, the Beserk Fury was pretty banged up from our battle at the Royal Cup. This is the Dark  
Spiner. It's not an Ultimate-X like the Beserk Fury or your Liger Zero, but it's pretty good."  
  
"You've equipped it nicely. Are those shoulder cannons 140?"  
  
"Close, 144. It's also got a Strike Laser Claw much like the Liger Zero, mini defense cannons,  
and a twin pulse cannon within its chest. The quills on its back are its ionization array  
capable of producing energy for a charged particle attack." Vega looked down at Bit. "I was  
hoping we would might have that rematch I was promised."  
  
Bit's smile faded. "I wish we could, but I don't know if I have what it takes to be a Zoid  
Warrior any more."  
  
"You don't know if you have what it takes?" Vega repeated, not believing what he was hearing and  
whom he was hearing it from. He leaped down from the Dark Spiner's cockpit. "Bit, I've seen  
your past record. You've battled everybody from mercenaries to soldiers, even me without so much  
as a worry and now you don't know if you have what it takes?"  
  
Bit explained everything, about the battle, about the comments by Leena and Amber, and about how  
it all seemed to him.  
  
"I don't believe it," Vega said firmly.  
  
"You don't believe me?"  
  
"No, I don't believe what they're saying is true. I've seen you in battle, Bit. I was there  
when you vaporized the Judge Satellite that almost crashed down on all of us. Bit, you're as  
good as me, how can you think you don't have what it takes?"  
  
Bit had to admit Vega had a point, especially after he remembered all the teams he battled:   
Champ, Tigers, Lightning, Serpent, and even the Backdraft Group. He always played an important  
role in those battles. Maybe Leena was wrong, maybe he was a vital part of the Blitz Team.  
  
As if he could read Bit's mind, Vega said, "you know I'm right. If it wasn't for you, the Blitz  
Team wouldn't even be in Class-S. Come on, Bit, don't run away."  
  
Finally, Bit smiled. "You're right, Vega. I can't let the words of one person speak over the  
actions of the past. I won't run away. I never ran away from anything in my life, and I'm not  
about to start now."  
  
"That's the spirit, Bit. Say, what do you say we have that rematch now. I have some prize money  
and we can put that up."  
  
"You're on," Bit said knowing Vega was just like him, he didn't really care about reward, just  
the thrill of going into battle, the satisfaction of winning and the honor and respect between  
two warriors.  
  
"I should warn you, Bit, I've improved a lot since we last met."  
  
"Me too, I know that this battle will be one both of us will remember," Bit said as a dark  
shadow loomed over the two Warriors.  
  
  
Doc. Toros: Bit's disappeared and the one who seems to be taking it the hardest is Leena. She  
wants to find him but she know she can't do it alone. So she seeks help from the one who can   
help her the most... the Liger Zero?! Next time on Zoids: "The Odd Couple: Leena and Liger."  
Join Leena and Liger on the Search for Bit Cloud. Ready... SEARCH! 


	12. Leena and Liger: The Search for Bit Clou...

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 10: The Odd Couple: Leena and Liger  
  
Brad: Last time on Zoids, Leena was extremely pissed at Bit for forfeiting our match with the  
Nuke Team. She told him in no uncertain terms what she thought of him, including that the team  
would be better off without him. Later, Leena tried to settle the differences between Bit and  
Amber. She discovered that the reason Amber was always acting so hostile towards Bit was   
because she wanted to show him that he didn't have to do something special to earn her respect.  
I guess over the years, that meaning kind of got lost in the shuffle. Amber and Leena left on   
good terms but Bit left sourly because he thought that Leena was right. While in the desert,   
he met up with his old rival, Vega Obscura and his new Zoid, the Dark Spiner. The two agreed   
to a rematch of the Royal Cup... didn't they?  
  
  
Leena yawned as she returned from Vanguard City. It was a long drive back and the Gun Sniper  
wasn't really meant for travel. Once, she got inside, she went looking for Bit. Her first  
check was in his room, but he wasn't there.  
  
She passed by Brad Hunter who was on his way to his room. "Hey Brad, where's Bit? He's not in  
his room."  
  
"Knowing him, he's probably sulking somewhere."  
  
"I don't know, Bit isn't the type to sulk for so long."  
  
"Look, this thing with his sister really got to him. I would too if I was in Bit's situation.  
Just wait until tomorrow morning."  
  
Leena wasn't sure whether or not Brad was right. True Bit was upset, but why would he just  
disappear to sulk when he could do that just as easily in his own room?  
  
Leena finally decided that Brad was probably right. She would go search for him in the   
morning.  
  
  
The next morning, Leena went to check Bit's room but it was still empty. In fact, the bed   
hadn't even been slept in. Leena began to sense something was up. She went into the hangar   
bay where the Zoids and the other vehicles were.  
  
{The jeep's here... and so is his truck,} Leena thought when she saw they were in their   
respective places. She immediately went into the Zoid loading bay and saw the large white Zoid  
standing tall and proud in its spot. {The Liger... Bit tells Liger Zero everything, surely he   
would know... what am I thinking? I don't speak Liger... well, no hurt in asking.}  
  
Leena meekly went up to the Liger Zero. "Uh... Liger." The large Zoid lowered its head to   
look at her. Leena almost forgot how intimidating the Liger Zero could be. "Liger... have you  
seen Bit?"  
  
The Liger began to let out a series of roars. "Wait, wait, I don't understand," Leena said  
interrupting him. "Just nod or shake your head." The Liger shook its head. "You haven't?   
But Bit tells you everything, why wouldn't he tell you where he was going unless... unless he   
wasn't planning on going anywhere! What if he was taken!"  
  
The Liger began roaring almost like it was launching into a tirade. "Hold on, Liger, hold on,  
the only thing that's going to solve this is if we go find Bit."  
  
The Liger let out a huff and turned itself towards the door.  
  
"Wait," Leena pleaded. "I'm coming with you." Even without the Liger's grunts, Leena could   
tell that it didn't want her to. "I know you won't let anyone except Bit pilot you, but I'm...  
I'm worried about him too. You have to let me come with you. Think about it this way, I won't  
be piloting, I would just be a passenger."  
  
The Liger moaned and lowered his head. The hatch opened. Leena let out a sigh of relief.  
Carefully, she climbed in. The Harness lowered, although it wasn't meant for Leena's thin   
body, but rather Bit's broad shouldered frame.  
  
"This shouldn't be too hard," Leena told herself. "I mean Bit does this all the time, so if he  
can do it, then anybody can. Here we go. GO, LIGER!" The Liger plowed through the bay door.  
Leena was forced back in her seat. She grunted in pain. "You meant to do that, didn't you?"  
She accused the Liger. The Liger nodded its head, its roars sounding like laughter. "Great,   
if there's anything I hate more, it's a smart-alec Zoid."  
  
  
The two searched for hours and hours, and it seemed like it was a useless task. Several times   
Leena kicked herself mentally for not thinking this through. Then again, the Liger wasn't   
exactly a planner itself.  
  
Suddenly the Liger's proximity alarm. It detected something north-east of their current  
location.  
  
"It looks like a Zoid," Leena observed. "You know what it is, Liger?" A profile came on the  
Liger's screen and Leena read it. "Dark Spiner huh? Sounds like one tough Zoid. Hey, maybe   
it knows where Bit is." The Liger decided it was a good plan because it turned and headed out   
in the location.  
  
When they arrived, the sight before them startled both human and Zoid. Smoked craters laid  
strewn along a mile radius. The Dark Spiner was lying on its side, smoke erupting from its   
side. "Wow, was there a Zoid battle here?" Leena asked. "Liger, let me out, I want to look   
around." The Liger was only too happy to let the human out. Leena walked over to the Dark   
Spiner wreckage and placed a hand on it.  
  
"I'm no expert, but this Zoid looks like it's been mangled. There are cannon shots right near  
the cockpit. Whoever the Dark Spiner was fighting was fighting for keeps."  
  
Leena backed up from the wreckage and fell over something. She looked down and discovered a  
human hand.  
  
Leena screamed for all she's worth. Then looked carefully. The hand was sticking out of a   
sand pile. Leena carefully cleared the sand around the hand. The good news was that the hand   
was attached to a body. As Leena cleared the last of the sand, she discovered that the body   
was that of a dark-haired boy.  
  
"Vega Obscura!" Leena recognized. She lowered her ear to his stomach listening for a   
heartbeat or any signs of breathing. She was rewarded with a heartbeat and a moan.  
  
"Water," Vega croaked. His voice sounded like it was on its last legs. Leena looked around   
and spotted a water spout, they were left in the desert for travelers to resupply should they   
need to. She dragged Vega over to it and turned it on, allowing water to flow into his mouth.  
After a moment, the boy coughed and wretched. Again, Leena let out a sigh of relief.  
  
Finally, Vega opened his eyes. He groaned. "Ow, what happened to me."  
  
"That's what I was hoping you could tell me," Leena said. Vega looked at her with a look that  
seemed to ask 'who are you?' He then looked behind her.  
  
"The Liger Zero? So you must be one of Bit's teammates."  
  
"That's right," Leena said. "I'm Leena Toros, I was the Gun Sniper pilot during the Royal   
Cup."  
  
"Yes, I remember your voice."  
  
"Have you seen Bit?" Leena asked.  
  
Vega's eyes widened. "What?! You mean he's not here?"  
  
Leena's eyes widened. "You've seen him?! Do you know what happened to him?"  
  
Vega nodded. "They must've got him."  
  
"Who? Tell me EVERYTHING!"  
  
"Right, well..."  
  
  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
"I should warn you, Bit, I've improved a lot since we last met."  
  
"Me too, I know that this battle will be one both of us will remember," Bit said. He nodded at  
Vega, then his eyes widened as he spotted something behind him. "Vega, get to your Dark   
Spiner!"  
  
"Huh?" Vega turned and saw what Bit saw. A large dinosaur-like Zoid loomed overhead. "A   
Gordos!"  
  
The Stegosaurus fired from the missile pods on its side. Bit and Vega scattered. Vega jumped  
into the cockpit of the Dark Spiner. "You'll regret that!" The Dark Spiner fired its AZ144mm  
cannons. The Gordos countered with its supercannons. The Dark Spiner dodged to the side. The  
two Zoids moved in to close-range battle.   
  
The struggle was observed by Bit. He couldn't believe how powerful the Dark Spiner was. Then   
again, when Vega Obscura was at the controls, even a Molga can seem like an all-powerful   
weapon.  
  
The Gordos fired its supercannons again. Vega barely pulled back in time.  
  
{He's aiming for the cockpit,} Vega thought. {He's actually trying to kill me! Maybe Bit   
too.} "Bit, run for it! They're trying to kill us! I'll try to hold out while you run for   
it."  
  
Bit wanted to help, but without Liger Zero there really wasn't anything he could do. The only  
thing he could do is do what Vega told him. He turned to run.  
  
"I think it's time you need to taste some charged particle power," Vega said. His leg spikes   
came down and the vents on his tail opened up. Finally, the quills on its back began rising.  
Energy sparkled down the quills.  
  
"Go for it, Vega!" Bit encouraged.  
  
"Charged Particle Cannon, fire!" Vega commanded. An intense energy beam shot out of the Dark  
Spiner's mouth. The Gordos fell.  
  
Bit was about to congratulate Vega on a good job when he spotted something out of the corner of  
his eye. A dinosaur-like Zoid was approaching from the north. The color was different, but  
there was no mistaking it. It was a Genosaurer.  
  
"Vega, look out, a Genosaurer is heading this way!" Bit called.  
  
"So you want some too?" Vega asked defiantly as he maneuvered the Dark Spiner to fire the  
Charged Particle Cannon.  
  
Suddenly the Genosaurer got into a very familiar stanse. It too was about to fire its Charged  
Particle Cannon.  
  
Bit covered his eyes as the two powerful energy beams collided, each threatening to push the  
other back.  
  
Bit saw it a fraction of a second before it happened. The Gordos swung one of its cannons to  
the side and fired. The blast struck the Dark Spiner's side and it fell over. Vega was ejected  
from the cockpit. He rolled forward and laid there in the sand.  
  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
"The wind must've blew sand over me in the night," Vega concluded. "Because the next thing I  
knew, I heard footsteps, yours most likely. I'm sure you know what happens from there."  
  
"Vega... what color was the Gordos? And the Genosaurer?"  
  
"That was the odd thing. They were both painted black with strange markings."  
  
Leena slammed her palm with her fist. "The WARLords! They must've kidnapped Bit to get   
revenge on him from what happened at the Ultrasaurus! Vega, which direction did the Genosaurer  
come from?"  
  
Still confused as to what was going on. Vega pointed behind Leena. "That way, from the   
north."  
  
"Then north is where we're going." Leena ran over to the Liger. "Let me up, Liger, we have a  
clue." More acceptive than last time, Liger again allowed Leena to enter his cockpit. "Hey  
Vega, are you going to be all right?"  
  
The kid nodded. "I'm sure the Dark Spiner can last until I get into town." The Dark Spiner   
let out a roar as if it was agreeing with him.  
  
"Just the same, if you need help, our base is not far from here. If you just so happen to come  
across any of the other Blitz Team members, tell them what you told me."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Let's go, Liger." The hatch closed and the Liger shot off, firing its ion boosters.  
  
The Liger shot along a direct route. Leena saw that they were coming to a weird mountain. The  
peak was shaped like Saber Tiger's head.  
  
"I think I know this place," Leena said. "My Dad used to tell me about this, I think it was  
called... Red River? Well, if there was a WARLord base anywhere, this would probably be it.  
How do you think we should go through it, Liger?"  
  
Before the Liger could answer her (not that it would matter considering Leena can't understand  
what it was saying), metallic tentacles shot out and wrapped themselves around the Liger's back  
feet.  
  
"Liger, shake them off!" Leena instructed. She could tell that the Liger was doing its best  
but it was pointless. Well not if she had anything to say about it. "Sorry, Liger, but if I  
don't do this, we're both gonners." Leena grabbed the controls and sharply twisted them to the  
left. On the outside, the Liger turned the front part of its body so that it was facing the  
cliffside. It fired continus blasts from the shot cannon. The blasts hit the cliffside and  
caused rubble to fall on the tentacles.  
  
Liger shook off the tentacles.  
  
"Phew, that was a close one," Leena commented. "Sorry about that, Liger, I'll understand if   
you want to eject me and rescue Bit on your lonesome." Leena braced for the sound of the hatch  
opening and the seat ejecting but nothing happened. "I guess I've earned my keep."  
  
Suddenly the Liger was thrown forward into the cliffside. The last thing Leena saw before the  
cockpit screen went dark and she herself was knocked out was a large black raptor-like Zoid.  
  
"The Genosaurer," Leena muttered then lost consciousness.  
  
  
Vega Obscura discovered that for all his boasting, the Dark Spiner was having trouble moving.  
Most likely something inside of it was wrong. He was afraid he was going to have to abandon   
it. But then a signal of hope arrived in the form of a structure. It looked like a large   
hangar or some sort of warehouse. Vega stopped the Dark Spiner and climbed out.  
  
"I'll be right back," he told it. He ran up to it and discovered there was a hole in one of   
the doors. He peeked through and saw two people standing around an empty space.  
  
"Do you think it could've kidnapped her?"  
  
"I doubt it, what reason would it have to do that? Besides, it's pilot is Bit, not Leena."  
  
"Excuse me," he called.  
  
Brad and Doc. Toros turned around and immediately recognized him.  
  
"Vega Obscura." Brad got ready to attack but Doc. Toros stopped him.  
  
"Vega, what are you doing here?" Toros asked.  
  
"Believe it or not, Leena invited me." Brad and Doc. Toros looked at each other in shock.  
  
  
Leena felt something dripping on her. She woke up and found that she was blindfolded... no   
wait, she wasn't blind folded, it'll just take her a while for her eyes to adjust to the   
darkness.  
  
She tried to remember what happened to her. She was in the Liger Zero. Something attacked her  
and then... she still had a headache.  
  
"I guess I should try to find Liger and get out of here," she told herself.  
  
A moan startled her. She backed herself up against the wall, which she discovered to be either  
linoleum or cement. Apparently, she was in a basement or a warehouse or something like that.  
  
"Wh... Who's there?" Leena asked.  
  
"Lee... na?" A hoarse voice called out.  
  
"I... I should warn you, I know how to defend myself..." Leena thought she recognized the voice.  
Carefully, she took a step closer. The outline of a limp body came into view. She gasped.   
It was BIT!  
  
"BIT!" She ran to him and knelt by him. He looked like hell. He had cuts and scratches all  
over his body. His right arm hung at its side and his clothes were ripped in multiple places.   
"Bit, are you all right?"  
  
"I've felt better. What are you doing here?"  
  
Leena crossed her arms. "Well I can see you're glad to see me," she said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry, but I thought nobody knew where I was, not even Vega."  
  
"I'll tell you later, but what happened to you?"  
  
"Well, it all started when I left the Toros base. I thought you were right and the Blitz Team  
didn't really need me. I met up with Vega Obscura."  
  
"Yeah, Vega told me everything up to the time he was knocked out."  
  
"Well I tried to run but a Black Raynos came out of nowhere and picked me up. Next thing I   
knew, I was here."  
  
"But how did...?"  
  
Leena helped Bit up to sitting position and leaned him against the wall. She made a gesture  
with her head at his wounds.  
  
"Interrogation. The WARLords think I'm an agent for the Zoid Battle Commission trying to find  
their weaknesses, just like Ashley was sent to do. One of them got a little carried away and  
pushed me off a cliff. Luckily it was a short drop."  
  
"So it wasn't because of you're actions at the Ultrasaurus?"  
  
"I don't think so, I think it was just a coincidence."  
  
"Bit... I'm sorry."  
  
"Hey, it's not like you pushed me off the cliff."  
  
"Not about that, about yelling at you. You are an important part to the Blitz Team. We would  
probably be living out of a cardboard box if you hadn't come along and piloted the Liger Zero.  
I'm not just saying that, it's true. So, what do you say, are we friends again?"  
  
Bit smiled. "What do you mean again? I don't even remember fighting with you."  
  
Despite herself, Leena smiled. "That's the Bit Cloud I know. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I had   
a little talk with your sister."  
  
Bit frowned. "What crack she had about me this time?"  
  
"She said that she was very proud of you, even a little jealous."   
  
"Come on, Leena, be serious, please."  
  
"Believe it or not, I am." Leena explained what Amber told her.  
  
"Wow, all this time I've been trying to make my sister proud, I guess it never hit me that I  
actually might succeed. I can't leave the Blitz Team now, not before I reconcile with Amber."  
  
"Good idea."  
  
"Um... you didn't by any chance... hit her to make her tell you all that, did you?"  
  
Leena had a hurt expression. "Moi? Do I look like a violent person?"  
  
"To tell you the truth, I hope you are, the WARLords play rough and we need to play just as   
rough if we're going to get out of here."  
  
"Speaking of which, what do you say we get out of here?"  
  
"I'm all for that." Bit held out his good hand and Leena shook it.  
  
"The first thing we should do after we get out of here is head for the loading bay. They'll  
probably be keeping the Liger in there."  
  
Bit blinked at her. "The Liger? Liger Zero? You came here in Liger Zero?"  
  
Leena smiled embarrassingly. "Oh yeah, did I forget to tell you that? Well let me explain..."  
  
  
Vega sat in the common room explaining to Doc. Toros and Brad what was going on. Jamie Hemeros  
was seeing about the repairs of the Dark Spiner.  
  
"So let me get this straight," Doc. Toros said. "My daughter appeared in the Liger Zero and  
asked about Bit. You told her he was captured and she went off to fight them all by herself?"  
  
Vega nodded. "I know it might seem umbelievable but..."  
  
"On the contrary," Brad interrupted. "That exactly sounds like Leena."  
  
Jamie came in. "The Dark Spiner is good as new, Vega. A little tightening, some oiling, and  
there you go."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Jamie, after the Backdraft Group captured Bit and the Liger, we installed a homing chip in the  
Liger. Can we track its signal?"  
  
"Sure, as long as it's not destroyed, we can track it from the Hovercargo."  
  
"Good, because we're going after them. Vega, would you like to come along?"  
  
Vega nodded. "I'd like to get them back for what they did to my Dark Spiner."  
  
"Then let's load 'em up and move out! I always wanted to say that." Brad, Jamie, and Vega all  
sighed.  
  
  
"Guard, guard," Leena called. "Come quick!"  
  
The guard of their cell came in. "What is it?"  
  
Leena gestured at Bit, who was lying on the floor. "There's something wrong with this kid. He  
suddenly cried out then collapsed."  
  
The guard mumbled a curse. As he bent down to check Bit's pulse, Leena silently moved behind  
him.  
  
"He'll live," the guard informed. "He probably just lost consciousness from the..." As the  
guard turned to look at Leena, he received a knee right in the face. The guard fell against   
the wall then down to the floor.  
  
Bit got up. "Nice hit. Remind me never to make you angry."  
  
"Right, let's go." Bit and Leena ran out of their cell and down the hall. They kept following  
the hallways, checking doors to see if any lead to a stair case or the outside. Finally, one   
of the end doors turned out to be a stair case with stairs leading both up and down.  
  
"So do we go up or down?" Bit asked.  
  
"Up," Leena decided. They ran up the stairs. Soon, they came to a dead end. "Oops, maybe we  
should've gone down."  
  
Bit moaned.  
  
Two things happened at once: an alarm went off and the entire stair case started to shake.   
Leena immediately covered Bit with her body as rubble rained down around them. When they   
looked up, they discovered the Liger Zero staring back at them.  
  
"Good boy, Liger," Bit congratulated. "I knew nothing could keep you in confinement." The   
Liger lowered his head to them and the hatch opened. Bit limped into the cockpit and Leena got  
behind the seat. The hatch lowered.  
  
"Can we get out of here?" Leena asked.  
  
"Fine by me." The Liger turned and plowed down the mountain. Tentacles shot out to grab the  
Liger Zero but the white Zoid just jumped over them. When they got to the valley near the  
river, they encountered the Red River base's Zoid force, complete with a Genosaurer.  
  
"Looks like we have no choice but to fight," Bit said. He went to grab the controls but forgot  
about his arm and yelped in pain. "I can't pilot the Liger with just one arm."  
  
"Then move over and let someone with two arms do it," Leena said forcing her way into the   
cockpit chair. Bit climbed over the chair and into the back compartment. "All right, Liger,   
here's what we're going to do," Leena explained. "We're going to shoot up the cliff by   
bouncing from one side to the other. Once we get up there, we take pot shots with that cannon   
of yours. If any Zoid, especially that Genosaurer somehow gets up here, we fire the boosters   
and high-tail it out of here. You don't like it, well tough nuggets."  
  
The Liger let out a roar. "I don't believe it," Bit said astonished. "He agrees with you."  
  
"Like I told the Liger, I can hold my own in battle. So let's rock!" The Liger leaped up and  
pushed off from one side of the cliff to the side of the other cliff in a zig-zag formation.   
As Leena explained, it arrived at the top and started firing its shot cannon. The Zoid force,   
which consisted of a Guysack, Saber Tigers, Lightning Saixs, and even a Command Wolf, all   
black, began scattering.  
  
"Good job, Leena," Bit said excitedly. "You handle the Liger like a pro."  
  
"Well, it doesn't have as many guns as my Gun Sniper, but it will have to do."  
  
Bit smiled, greatful for Leena's trigger-happy attitude.  
  
That pleasant moment was interrupted, however, as Storm Sworders and Salamanders, equipped with  
carrier harnesses, began lifting the Zoids up the cliffside.  
  
"No way," Leena gasped.  
  
"Who would've thought," Bit added. "Um... Leena, let's get out of here."  
  
"Uh... yeah." Liger turned and fired its boosters. The aerial Zoids dropped their payload and  
the ground troops began taking off after the Liger Zero.  
  
More Zoids began popping up. Bit recognized the Gordos that attacked him and Vega, obviously   
repaired from the battle. The Liger fired its boosters but the Storm Sworders were much   
faster, their buzzing caused the Liger Zero to be herded back towards the Zoids.  
  
"We need help badly," Leena commented. Bit agreed with her and the Liger's grumbled showed   
that it agreed with her too.  
  
A proximity alarm went off. "Now what?" Leena asked. A side monitor came on to show the   
Hovercargo heading towards them. "It's the Hovercargo!"  
  
"Yes! The others found us!" Bit was also enthusiastic.  
  
The Hovercargo stopped and the catapult, side panel, and lower hatch all opened. The Raynos   
was shot from the catapult. The side panel revealed the Shadow Fox with the Buster Cannon on   
its back. The Fox was dropped to the ground. The Dark Spiner came out of the lower hatch.   
The Raynos began taking out the aerial Zoids while the Shadow Fox and Dark Spiner handled the   
ground Zoids.  
  
A communication screen opened up and Doc. Toros' face appeared. "Bit, Leena, are you two all   
right?"  
  
"We're fine now that you're here, Dad," Leena responded.  
  
Doc. Toros nodded. "Both of you, return to the Hovercargo. Leena, get into your Gun Sniper   
and Bit, get ready to transform into the Liger Zero-Panzer."  
  
"Doc, my arm's in pretty rough shape, I don't know if..." Bit's complaining was interrupted by  
the roars of the Liger Zero. "Thanks, Liger, I owe you big time. Let's go, Leena."  
  
"Right." The Liger Zero retreated into the Hovercargo. Once there, Leena exited the Liger and  
got into her own Zoid. It was launched while Liger Zero donned its Panzer armor.  
  
The Blitz Team and Vega stood in front of the Hovercargo. The WARLords stood in front of  
their base. It was a classic Zoids stand off.  
  
"Let's rumble," Bit said. The Zoids moved in but the Blitz Team and Vega fired their weapons.  
Those Zoids that weren't caught in the initial blast tried to return fire, but the sheer power  
was overwhelming. This carnage continued for five minutes.  
  
Suddenly Bit got an idea. "Aim for the mountain itself! Hybrid Cannons fire!"  
  
"Weasel Unit Super Assault!" Leena shouted.  
  
"Charged Particle Cannon fire!" Vega threw in. The Shadow Fox and Raynos fired their own  
weapons. The energy blasts caused the mountain to cave in on the base. Luckily, all the  
soldiers were in Zoids and were not in the base.  
  
"Scratch one WARLord base," Leena said.  
  
"Hey, look," Jamie called. "The WARLords are retreating."  
  
"Should we go after them?" Brad asked.  
  
"Nah," Bit decided. "We've had enough excitement for one day." He gave Leena a smile. "Let's  
go home."  
  
Leena returned the smile and nodded. The Blitz Team bid their good-bye to Vega and headed home.  
  
  
Leena: I feel sorry for Jamie. The poor kid thinks the only reason we keep him around is because  
his Wild Eagle persona is good in a fight. Meanwhile, that Pierce character returns and wants to  
challenge the pilot of the Raynos to a rematch. I hope Jamie can pull himself together. Next   
time on Zoids: "Jamie's Fusion: Assault of the Redler." Ready... FLY! 


	13. Jamie's Fusion: Assault of the Redler

Zoids-S  
  
Episode 11: Jamie's Fusion; Assault of the Redler  
  
He ran across the open fields in a panic, bare feet treading the cool grass. There was nothing   
to keep him from its steely grasp. It was already over him like a huge shadow.  
  
His feet gave away and he fell onto his stomach. He rolled over just in time to see a   
huge talon descend. He barely got out in time. He looked up to see a shadow of a   
bird-like creature hovering over him. The creature,with glowing yellow eyes,   
reached down with his talon again.  
  
Jamie Hemeros sat up in his bed. He put his hand to his clammy forehead. This was the   
fourth time in a week that he had that same nightmare. And this time, he almost came  
close to being bird chow. He was worried, more worried than he ever had been in his  
entire life. How long? How long would it be before he succumbs to the bird's steely   
grasp?  
  
--  
  
Jamie was still worried the next day as he drove the Blitz Team's Hover Cargo up to the  
battle sight. They were going to be going into battle against the Spherion Team,  
one of the vetran Class-S teams. He missed Doc. Torros' lecture about the Spherion Team.  
  
"What makes the Spherion Team so formidable is their ability to change their strategy should  
the need arise," Doc. Toros told Bit Cloud, Leena Toros, and Brad Hunter. "So we can't use  
any of our usual strategies. We'll have to adjust our strategy to counter their strategy."  
  
"That shouldn't be too much of a problem," Leena said. "Not using strategies is something  
we do best."  
  
"Better not let Jamie hear you say that," Bit commented.  
  
"Oops." Leena placed both hands over her mouth then looked at Jamie. Fortunately, Jamie was  
in deep thought about his nightmare to respond to Leena's comment.  
  
"Our best bet is to take them one on one and finish them off quickly before they would have a   
chance to take us out."  
  
"We're here," Jamie announced. The Spherion Team were already in their Zoids which consisted   
of a Saber Fang, Guysack, and Shield Liger.  
  
"All right, I'm ready to go," Bit said standing up.  
  
"No you're not," three voices said. Leena, Brad and Doctor Toros forced Bit to sit back  
down again.  
  
"You're still reovering from your injuries you got at the WARLord camp," Leena said firmly.  
"In the words of my father, you're not fit to pilot a tricycle, let alone a Zoid."  
  
"So who will go in my place?" Bit asked. Jamie could feel several sets of eyes on him.  
He sighed. "Uh... Doc, are you sure you need me for this? I mean surely Leena and Brad can..."  
  
"I'm sure they can, Jamie, but the rules clearly state that three members are suppose to   
take part in a battle. So suit up, Wild Eagle, we need you on that battlefield."  
  
Jamie moaned. Sometimes he wondered if the only reason the Doc was keeping him around was   
because he was the Wild Eagle.  
  
The Raynos, Shadow Fox, and Gun Sniper were dispatched and the battle began. At first, it  
seemed like things were going nowhere, then the Blitz Team slowly began to gain the upper   
hand. Suddenly, the Raynos went into a dive and as it dangerously close to the ground,   
it accelerated causing a shockwave that blew back all Zoids. The Spherion Team, who was   
already damaged from the attacks, fell over, their combat systems frozen.  
  
The end buzzer sounded. Wild Eagle let out a laugh. "This wasn't even a challenge."  
  
"Yeah, but did you have to knock down your own teammates too?" Leena asked.  
  
"Hey, it got the job done." Leena fumed. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that this  
loose cannon and the quiet boy who came in years ago were one and the same, it was almost like   
Jamie's dark side.  
  
--  
  
The trip back to base went without incident. Fortunately, nobody held it against Jamie,  
they knew that he technically wasn't himself.  
  
Once they were settled back at base, Bit noticed that Jamie was quieter than he usually was.  
"Hey, something on your mind, bud?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, no, nothing."  
  
"Come on, you can tell me." Bit put his good arm around Jamie's shoulders.  
  
"Well... I'm just wondering why I am here."  
  
"Sheesh, Jamie, why're you getting all philosophical on us?"  
  
"No, I mean why am I part of this team?" Bit looked at him questionly.  
  
Jamie continued, "When it comes to Zoid piloting, 'Jamie' is moderately skilled. But the Wild   
Eagle... I don't think any Zoid has the skill to stand up to him. You guys never listen   
to my strategies and still come out on top. I think that the only reason you guys keep me  
around is because of the Wild Eagle."  
  
"That's the biggest load of bull that I've ever heard," Bit commented." Jamie, have you   
forgotten that you are the Wild Eagle?"  
  
"No, Bit, I'm not the Wild Eagle! We're two separate individuals. You remember when he first  
appeared, it was as if Jamie didn't exist and the Wild Eagle was piloting that Raynos.  
Let's face it, Bit, Jamie's expendable."  
  
"Jamie, that's enough self-pity. You're just as important as the Wild Eagle, don't..."  
They were interrupted by the sound of a motor. "What's that?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Come on, let's check it out." Bit and Jamie ran outside to see a motorcycle pull up to   
the base, kicking up a cloud of smoke in its wake. Bit and Jamiecoughed and gagged from the   
dust.  
  
"Hey, buddy, you have a lot of nerve," Bit criticized.  
  
"You haven't changed at all, Bit," a female voice said.  
  
Bit inadvertantly took a step back. "No, it can't be."  
  
The woman took off her helmet. She had long teal hair and light blue eyes. She was dressed   
in a leather biker jacket and tight blue jeans.  
  
"It's you!" Bit gasped. "You're that woman from the Backdraft Group!"  
  
"What's going on, Bit?" Leena asked as she came outside with Brad and her father. "Who's this?"  
  
"Oh, that's right, I never did told you my name while we were at the resort. You can call me   
Pierce."  
  
"All right, Pierce," Bit said harshly. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I've come for a rematch. I want to challenge the one who defeated me."  
  
"Well bring it on," Bit said. "Even with one arm, me and Liger can..."  
  
"It's not the Liger Zero I want a rematch with."  
  
"Huh?" The entire Blitz Team asked.  
  
"But I thought since Bit beat you in the mountains..." Leena began.  
  
"Technically, the Liger Zero didn't beat me, I withdrew from the battle. But no, it's not the  
Liger Zero I want a rematch against, it's the Raynos."  
  
"The Raynos?" Brad asked.  
  
"Yeah, that's right. Before your little sneak attack on us all those years ago, I pride myself  
on my abilities as an airborn Zoid pilot. But then some crazy Zoid warrior in a Raynos   
took on me and defeated me like I was nothing. I wanted a rematch ever since."  
  
"So why wait until now?" That was Leena.  
  
"My Zoid. I wanted an airborn Zoid that was better at maneuverability than firepower.  
The Raynos is almost perfect when it comes to aerial maneuverability so I searched high and   
low for a Zoid that could equal the Raynos and I did.  
  
"Now it's my turn to ask a question. Who's the pilot of that Raynos?" She moved  
her finger over each of the Blitz Team.  
  
Meakly, Jamie stepped forward. "I was the pilot."  
  
Pierce stared at him. She couldn't believe that the opponent she was seaking all this time   
was a kid half her age. She smirked. "Nice try, kid, but playing martyr won't get you  
anywhere."  
  
"He's telling the truth," Bit vouched. "You know I was in the Liger Zero. Leena was the Gun   
Sniper pilot and Brad Command Wolf. Jamie here was the only one in the Raynos."  
  
"I can't believe it. You? Some kid beat me at airborn Zoid piloting! I can't believe it!"  
  
"It's... kind of hard to explain," Jamie said.  
  
"Yeah, right. I don't know what I was worried about, besides having some snot-nose punk beat   
me."  
  
"Hey, don't talk about Jamie like that!" Leena said.  
  
"Oh please, 'Jamie' couldn't beat an egg."  
  
"I accept your challenge!" Everyone looked up in surprise. Jamie had transformed into the   
Wild Eagle (although Pierce didn't know that). "We shall see who is the best airborn Zoid  
pilot."  
  
"Ja..." Leena then remembered that the Wild Eagle considered himself an entirely different  
person than Jamie. "Are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
"No doubt."  
  
"Then it's decided," Pierce declared. "You and I, tomorrow, high noon." Bit whistled a Wild  
West-like theme. Leena elbowed him in the injured arm. "The coordinates are E5046N125."  
The Wild Eagle nodded. "And prepare to lose."  
  
"The only thing I'll be prepared to do is clip your wings, Little Lady." Leena could see that  
Pierce was ready to slap Jamie silly for that 'Little Lady' comment.  
  
--  
  
Bit watched from a corner as Jamie used the Raynos as a flight simulator. He was still the  
Wild Eagle.  
  
"He's still at it?" Leena asked as she came in with a tray of food. "He didn't show for dinner  
so Dad sent me with this."  
  
"He's still doing it, but I'll gladly take the food."  
  
"Want another broken arm?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"I've never seen him stay in his Wild Eagle persona for so long," Leena commented.  
  
"Yeah, I know. I think I should leave the food here."  
  
"Hey, kids." It was Jamie's father, Oscar Hemeros.  
  
"Mr. Hemeros," Bit and Leena said at the same time.  
  
"Please, none of that, call me Oscar."  
  
"Oscar, what brings you here?" Bit asked.  
  
"Your pops called me and told me about Jamie's solo battle so I thought I might come by and  
watch." He leaned against the wall. "Pierce must've really shook his ego if he's been at this  
all afternoon.  
  
"Oscar, I was wondering something, why does the Wild Eagle consider himself a different person  
from Jamie?"  
  
"That might be my fault."  
  
"Your fault."  
  
"Believe it or not, I wasn't always the strong man standing before you. As a matter of fact, I  
was just like Jamie."  
  
"No kidding?"  
  
"No kidding, Bit. Keep in mind this was before I met your father and Layon. I was quite the  
bully magnet. Yeah, people used to use me as practice for fights and stuff. My father, Jamie's  
grandfather, was a strong man, he said that the only way I was going to be tough like him was if  
I started fighting back with all my strength. So I did and eventually I grew to the hunk of a  
man you see today." Bit and Leena sweat-dropped.  
  
"But that still doesn't explain why Jamie and the Wild Eagle consider themselves different  
people even though they're in the same body," Bit pointed out.  
  
"Oh, well, it was when I was at the Zoid Training Academy with Torros and Layon. It was there  
that I met Jamie's mother, Lita." Oscar sighed and a shade of red crept onto his cheeks.  
"She was one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. She was not only beautiful, but  
very gentle. Well, you know the story. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy  
promises to be a super strong Zoid pilot for girl. When Jamie was born, he grew up under the  
teachings of both of us. Now I'm no psychiatrist, but I'm guessing that Jamie's mind had  
trouble seeing my teachings of strength and bravery and Lita's teachings of kindness and  
wisdom. So it created two separate and entirely different personalities."  
  
"Talk about not knowing who you are," Bit cracked.  
  
"Oscar, just out of curiosity, what happened to Lita?" Leena asked.  
  
Oscar sighed depressedly. "She's no longer here."  
  
"Did she die or just leave you?" Leena didn't want the false pretense like what happened when  
her father first told them about Oscar.  
  
"She died." And that was the end of that discussion. Oscar's previous optimicity returned.  
"Jamie and the Wild Eagle are like brothers. They're both my sons."  
  
Brad heard everything from outside the door. At first, he never considered Jamie a strong  
individual, but now he was beginning to wonder if Jamie was braver than the three of them  
combined.  
  
Oscar took the tray of food from Leena and walked up to the Raynos. "Hey kiddo, how about  
refuelling yourself as well as your Zoid. You won't win on an empty stomach."  
  
Jamie looked down at him. "Sure, Dad." He jumped down and took the tray from his father.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Bit asked Leena.  
  
"Oscar was right," Leena threw in. "Jamie and Wild Eagle are like brothers. True, they have  
no idea of each other's existence, but they are like brothers."  
  
--  
  
The coordinates that Pierce gave them was a cavern that was more of a labyrinth.  
  
"Man, it's like a maze here," Bit commented. "Why did Pierce choose such an odd location?"  
  
"Since both competitors will be using an airborn Zoid, ground cover is not a factor here," Dr.  
Torros said. "Oh, looks like we're here." Here was a circular clearing in the center of the  
maze. Doc. Torros flipped on an intercom. "Are you ready to go, Wild Eagle?"  
  
"Just try and stop me," came the reply. Bit, Leena, and Brad still weren't used to the Wild  
Eagle's gung-ho attitude.  
  
"All right, open catapult. Adjust for air launch. Launch Raynos!" The Raynos was propelled  
almost straight up into the air. It looped a few times before landing on top of one of the  
rock cliffs.  
  
"So where is this spectacular airborn Zoid Pierce was telling us about?" Bit asked. As if  
on cue, a red blur shot past the Raynos. It barrell rolled a couple of time before landing  
on top of the cliff opposite the Raynos. It was then that the Blitz Team got a good look at  
the Zoid.  
  
It was a dinosaur-type Zoid with a narrow spiked head. Its wings were folded perfectly  
behind it.  
  
"It's a Redler!" Brad gasped.  
  
"I thought they were taken out of service," Bit said.  
  
"They stopped mass producing them a while back," confirmed Oscar, who was driving the Hover  
Cargo in place of Jamie.  
  
"Do you know why?" Leena asked.  
  
"Sorry, no. I never been a big fan for Redlers."  
  
"Surprised?" Pierce smirked. "I told you all I had a Zoid that could equal and surpass the   
Raynos."  
  
"Wild Eagle, be carefull!" Doc. Torros warned. "Redlers are extremely fast and agile.  
Their maneuverability is second to none!"  
  
"Thanks for the warning, Doc," Wild Eagle said. "But it doesn't take a Zoid to win a  
fight, it takes the Zoid and pilot working together. And the Raynos and I together are  
unstoppable."  
  
"You have one hot-headed half son, Oscar," Leena said.  
  
"Yup," Oscar agreed. "Must run in the family, har-har-har-har!" Oscar let out a hardy  
laugh much to the chagrin of the Blitz Team.  
  
"Here we go!" Doc. Toros announced. "Battlefield set up! Raynos versus the Redler,  
battle mode 0999." Toros didn't really like using the freestyle battle mode normally  
used by the Backdraft Group but the ZBC said they wouldn't support a sanctioned battle mode  
with one of the Backdraft group. True, They made an exception with Stoker but that was only  
because he registered with them first. Pierce didn't. "Ready... FIGHT!"  
  
The two airborn Zoids took off. They looped and then came at each other.  
  
"This won't even take a minute," Wild Eagle said firing his forward gataling gun. The  
Redler banked. "Hey, not bad, but can you do this...?" Jamie turned the Raynos on its side  
and twirled until it faced the Redler.  
  
"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" Pierce retorted. She looped the Raynos and  
fired a small rocket under its wing. It exploded before it could reach its target though.  
  
"She's even better than I thought," Wild Eagle said to himself. He maneuvered in for close-  
range combat. Suddenly a blade extended from the Redler's right wing. As she flew by, the  
blade scraped the Raynos' wing.  
  
"Whoa! Where did that come from?" Wild Eagle asked.  
  
"She must have took that blade from her Storm Sworder and added it to the Redler," Doc. Torros  
guessed.  
  
The Redler banked and attacked again while the Wild Eagle was still trying to rebound from  
the first attack.  
  
"Since I can't out fight her," Wild Eagle said to himself. "I'll have to outfly her."  
  
"Come and get me, Little Lady!" Wild Eagle called back as he piloted the Raynos up into the  
sky.  
  
"Close, but no cigar, kiddo." The Redler quickly overtook the Raynos then did a u-turn. It  
came straight at the Raynos. Wild Eagle barely dodged it in time.  
  
"The Raynos is fast but it isn't as maneuverable as the Redler," Brad commented.  
  
"Time to unleash my secret weapon," Pierce decided. She moved above the Raynos and dove at  
its backside. She knocked the Raynos for a loop and before the Wild Eagle could recover, she  
came at him again. She was knocking him around like a pinwheel. Pierce extended both of her  
wing blades and sliced the Raynos twice. The Wild Eagle felt like his head was spinning.  
  
{This might be it,} Wild Eagle thought. {She's going to beat me, there's no way I can match  
her maneuverability. There's no way I can win.}  
  
[There's always a way to win,] a strange yet familiar voice said. The Wild Eagle looked at  
himself in the reflection of the windshield. Only it wasn't him, it was Jamie but the Wild  
Egale didn't know that. [It's just a matter of finding it.]  
  
{You... you're me!}  
  
[Something like that, I'm you when you're not acting like such a hot head.]  
  
{No way, there's no way that I can be you.}  
  
[It's true, we share the same body, but you don't know that, at least not until now.]  
  
{So do you have a way to defeat her?}  
  
[No, but we can figure out a way if we join forces.]  
  
{Join forces? No way, I can do this by myself!}  
  
[Yeah, you were doing a great job so far. But trust me, together we will make one supreme  
airborn Zoid pilot! We can make both our father and our mother proud.]  
  
The Wild Eagle looked into Jamie's eyes, his own eyes. {Agree.} The Wild Eagle felt Jamie's  
consciousness meld with his own. He now knew who he truly was.  
  
All this happened within the span of a few seconds but to Jamie, it felt like forever. Then  
the Raynos folded its wings which caused the fire that developed in them to be extinguished.  
Then the trusters fired again and the Raynos U-turned and proceeded straight up again.  
  
{Okay,} the new Jamie thought. {I've brought some time, but it won't take long for Pierce to  
overtake me, so I need to work fast. Now, what do I know about the Redler. They were very  
popular way back in the days when Zoid battling was still young, but the ZBC decided to take  
them out of service, but why?} The Raynos' rear scanners showed the Redler coming up on him.  
{Blast, I need more time. If only the Redler wasn't so maneu...}  
  
"That's it! That's the Redler's weakness!" Jamie cried.  
  
"What are you talking about, Wild Eagle?" Leena asked.  
  
"Hey little lady," Jamie called to Pierce. "You want a piece of me? Well come and get me!"  
The Raynos dove into the cavern and began worming its way through them.  
  
"Nice try, kid, but the Redler is maneuverable even a few feet above the ground." The Redler  
pursued the Raynos through the labyrinth of caverns.  
  
"Perfect," Jamie said to himself. "She's falling right into my trap."  
  
"What's he doing, Oscar?" Brad asked.  
  
"I wish I knew." {But if I know my son, he has a plan and however unusual it is, he's going  
to pull it through.}  
  
On and on the chase went. Pierce was beginning to wonder if something was up, but her   
experience from years ago told her that this pilot wasn't capable of hiding a strategy.  
  
She was about to be proven wrong.  
  
Suddenly the Raynos curved up and Pierce found herself rapidly approaching a wall. She jerked  
the stick to the left and suddenly the plane started spinning horizontally.  
  
"Oh no, a spin out!" She cried. She ejected just as the Redler hit the wall and exploded.  
Pierce got ready to pull her parachute cord but stray debree knocked her in the head and she was  
knocked out.  
  
"Oh, crap," Jamie muttered. He quickly opened the cockpit of the Raynos and Pierce fell right  
into his lap.  
  
Pierce quickly revied and looked warily up at him. "You saved me."  
  
"Hey, I couldn't let a good airborn Zoid pilot go to waste," he said as he piloted the Raynos  
back to the Hover Cargo.  
  
--  
  
Moments later, the Blitz Team, Oscar, and Pierce were standing in front of the Hover Cargo.  
  
"I get it now," Dr. Toros said. "The reason they stopped mass-producing the Redlers was  
because they were too movement sensitive. One wrong turn of the lever could throw the Zoid  
into a tail spin."  
  
"I should've known that," Pierce scolded herself. "And I call myself an airborn Zoid  
specialist."  
  
"Don't sell yourself short," Jamie said. His voice was like that of the Wild Eagle, but his  
face and manner was that of plain old Jamie Hemeros. "You're a good pilot, one of the best  
I have ever faced. You just chose a bad Zoid. If you used your Storm Sworder and not the  
Redler, you probably would've won. Any time you want to hone your skills, I'll be around."  
  
Pierce smiled. "Thanks, kid, I really appreciate that."  
  
"Call me Jamie," he said. He then turned to Dr. Toros. "Hey, Doc, I've been thinking. I  
haven't exactly been pulling my weight around here."  
  
"What are you talking about, Jamie, you've been a great help."  
  
"I know, but I want to help you guys on the field as well as off the field. I want to  
become a full-fledge Zoid pilot."  
  
"Maybe you should do that, Dad," Leena commented.  
  
"Yeah, it might not be so bad having a full-time airborn Zoid pilot around," Brad agreed.  
Doc. Toros groaned. This meant he had to start paying Jamie full-time too, something he  
hated doing. He put on a painful look which caused the others to laugh. He then said,  
"Oh, well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a fourth pilot around."  
  
"Thanks, Doc., I promise you won't be disappointed."  
  
--  
  
He ran across the open fields in a panic, bare feet treading the cool grass. There was nothing   
to keep him from its steely grasp. It was already over him like a huge shadow.  
  
His feet gave away and he fell onto his stomach. He rolled over just in time to see a   
huge talon descend. He barely got out in time. He looked up to see a shadow of a   
bird-like creature hovering over him.  
  
Suddenly, he was filled with a new sense of courage. He went up to the bird-like shadow and  
petted the talon that wanted to grab him earlier. The bird looked at him and nodded its head.  
  
In his bed, Jamie Hemeros slept peacefully, the first peaceful sleep he's had in days.  
  
--  
  
Leon: Simon McCormic was the guy who originally sold my Dad the Liger Zero. Now he's back and  
demanding a cut of the Blitz Team's winnings so he could pay off this loan shark. Whether they  
like it or not, the Blitz Team is going to have to protect him when he sends his elite group of  
sinkers after them. Next time on Zoids: The Con Man and the Thief. Ready... FIGHT! 


End file.
